Hopes Of Netherlands-India Tie Up To Develop Dutch Cricket
After Indian captain Rahul Dravid's comments about the positive side of Dutch cricket, assistant coach Ian Pont is hoping for a closer relationship with Indian cricket to help develop the Netherlands team further in it's quest to get better cricket. Netherlands who went down badly to India by 183 runs in the first warm-up match in Jamaica, recovered spectacularly to show the sort of form against Kenya that shows why associate cricket teams deserve to be at the World Cup.
"Rahul Dravid made some wonderful comments about the Dutch after our first match and is encouraging us and others to sample higher standards of cricket more often," said Pont. "Our Dutch junior team is in India right now and I'd love to see more trips to the subcontinent with our national side playing India in a full one day series and India A in an unofficial Test match. If Test countries are genuine about helping develop our cricket, then it would be great to hear some of some offers to tour there."
Despite a narrow 9 run loss to Kenya at Trelawny in the final Dutch World Cup warm up in Jamaica, the Netherlands have shown they are a side who can upset the odds. Kenya, semi-finalists in the last World Cup in South Africa were outplayed for large swathes of this encounter. And assistant coach Ian Pont, claims to team simply needs to learn how to win. "We are the strongest Dutch squad ever assembled and have the best chance of success. But players are learning how to finish matches and win them rather than snatch at victory. I think the Kenya match proves once and for all that the Netherlands is one of top teams outside Test cricket. Now it's a matter of consistency. But also playing test countries and working with us to bring our guys through would be most welcomed."
Netherlands take on South Africa and Australia in their group in St Kitts aiming to claim a major scalp. "We have the personnel to distrupt the top teams. If we get into a winning position it will be how to win those matches rather than can we win those matches which is the key. Form goes out the window in one-off games and it's often the best mentally prepared team that takes the prize in close run matches. We're still learning but we've beaten both Australia and South Africa before so will not be fazed by them."
