New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Scott Edwards has stepped down as captain of the Netherlands men’s cricket team after leading the side in 56 One-Day Internationals over the last four years, with all-rounder Bas de Leede set to take charge for the remainder of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign.
After the League 2 matches in Utrecht had ended on Friday, Edwards told his teammates of his decision, stating that now was the right time to give up his position of leadership and instead concentrate on playing a greater role as a player.
“I’m sorry for coming to this with you guys somewhat suddenly, but I’m actually going to be giving up my position as captain from here on,” Edwards said to his teammates in a video put out by the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
“I believe it’s a matter that Cookie (Ryan Cook) and I have been talking about and that I’ve also had conversations with a number of other people regarding, and now seems to be the appropriate time for me.
I think that I have a lot more to contribute as a player and that’s definitely my aim for the future, guys. I believe this is such a special team. The world is open to us and I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead.
“I didn’t want having that interfere with the series, but that’s as far as I go and I can’t thank you all enough for the effort you’ve invested in me and in the team over the past four years. It has been a great honour to me and I really enjoy wearing the orange and can’t wait to have many more years ahead of us.”
Edwards became captain of the Dutch team following the first ODI of England’s tour of the Netherlands in June 2022, taking the position from Pieter Seelaar. While he was in charge, the Netherlands won 24 of their 56 ODIs, securing notable victories against South Africa in Dharamsala and against Bangladesh in Kolkata during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He also led the team in 50 T20 matches, achieving celebrated wins versus Zimbabwe and South Africa at the 2022 T20 World Cup, the latter result causing the Proteas to be eliminated from the tournament.
The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-and-batter is now passing the responsibility on to the 26-year-old fast bowler and all-rounder Bas de Leede, who rendered an emotional tribute to his predecessor.
De Leede said that if he could speak on behalf of the players then they had indeed undergone some really cool battles over the years and he just wanted to thank you for having believed in them.
“Even if a portion of us had not believed in ourselves or in the team, the fact that you were able to explain to us each and every game, day after day, what the plan was and how it would be carried out was something special and it caused me, as a player, to believe in my own abilities to a greater extent than I had ever done before.”
“It doesn’t only put the team in a position to succeed but also places each individual in a position to succeed. I believe we should all be very grateful for that, considering it takes a great deal of selflessness on a player’s part to place others in the best possible position to perform. That’s quite special.
I’m very excited about all that you’ll have ahead of you as a player; I do think you’re a most special player and I can’t wait until I get the opportunity to lead you on the field.”
The Netherlands are at present in second place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, behind the United States. Since the top four teams qualify for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, De Leede’s first duty as captain will be to lead the Dutch team through the rest of the campaign before they finish up their League 2 matches this year against Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
–IANS
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