The Men's T20 World Cup Super 12 match between the Netherlands and India will be played at Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. Despite this, the Netherlands' captain Scott Edwards expressed disappointment over the elimination of the ODI Super League, which currently determines the automatic qualification status for the World Cup the following year.
The Netherlands entered the ODI Super League as the 13th team in 2017 after winning the last World Cricket League Championship. It meant that over the course of the competition, the Netherlands would play 24 ODIs against Full Member nations. Even though they have only had two victories to far over the Irish, it meant that Netherlands received much-needed exposure to play against Ireland, Afghanistan, England, West Indies, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
However, given that the League is slated to be eliminated following the conclusion of the ODI World Cup against India in 2019, Netherlands will have to wait to continue playing Full Member teams on a regular basis.
"Of course it is regrettable that the ODI Super League will not go place. The experience was fantastic for all of our guys. In the future, more teams will undoubtedly compete in the World Cups, which is fantastic."
"However, you must first qualify for those events, which is never easy. Although it's a little frustrating, we're still in the World Cup and have another four, five, or however many games to play "stated Edwards at the press conference prior to the game.
When asked what the ODI Super League did for the Netherlands, Edwards cited the young players that entered the team and learned more about their depth of talent. "The Super League was most likely successful because of this. It was difficult for us to win games at that time because we lacked many of our county's players. But it gave many of our younger players a chance, and I believe many of them took advantage of it by proving they could compete against these bigger, better players."
Three South Asian players, including opener Vikramjit Singh, leg-spinner Shariz Ahmed, and off-spin all-rounder Teja Nidamanuru, are now on the Netherlands T20 World Cup roster. Edwards emphasised that in addition to this, they also had the opportunity to perform while the games were televised at home, which helped to advance the sport in the nation.
"Going back to the ODI Super League, I believe it was fantastic. We have the chance to perform on Dutch national television, and I believe this is the first time we have ever done so. As a result, the crowds we are receiving are significantly larger than they have ever been, especially with the addition of all these larger nations."
"It's undoubtedly expanding. However, it's clear that it's a minor sport in Europe. The sport becomes more well-known and receives more exposure the better we perform in these competitions. We're hoping to anger a few people so that we may gain greater publicity."
In response to a question regarding the lessons the Netherlands would acquire from the ODI Super League matches in advance of their encounter against a strong Indian team on Thursday, Edwards said, "If you only play the biggest teams sort of once every few years, facing these guys is a bit of an unknown. We feel quite confident since we have the opportunity to play 12 to 15 games during the past nine months."
"You look at men who have competed against these teams, even for individuals. It serves as a confirmation that you can compete successfully against these bigger teams on a large platform. That gives us a lot of assurance."
Edwards concluded by saying that he and the Netherlands squad hoped to see the Indian team after the game. "These individuals are undoubtedly the best in the world, so it would be fantastic. So any opportunity you have to pick their brains is fantastic. That was evident at the previous World Cup. In general, they are really kind with their time."