Proteas, Netherlands to play ODI in May
Cricket Netherlands (KNCB) is delighted to announce that following negotiations with Cricket South Africa (CSA) the South African Castle Lager ODI squad will be touring the Netherlands in May in preparation for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy to be played in England and Wales during June.
As part of the schedule the squad of 26 players and officials will spend time in Holland from 26 May to 1st June. During the preparation period KNCB and CSA will provide team-building activities as well as three days of cricket preparation.
However, the highlight of the trip will be a one-day international (ODI) to be played on Friday 31st May at the ABN AMRO International Cricket Centre (VRA) at Amstelveen.
KNCB CEO Richard Cox said: “As a result of the Champions Trophy being held in the UK it has given many European countries the opportunity to maximise the chance to play a Full Member through the support of ICC’s TAPP funding policy. We feel we have pulled off a real coup in getting one of the top ODI nations in the world to come to the Netherlands not only to play but also to act as their preparation-base for this major tournament.
“We are looking forward to having some of the household names of world cricket on our doorstep and will be announcing hospitality and ticketing details shortly.”
CSA Acting CEO Jacques Faul commented: “We are both delighted and grateful to the KNCB for their support with our preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy. We have had a very good relationship with the KNCB ever since we first played there in 1994.
“It is also important that ICC full member countries should continue to support the associate members by giving them regular opportunities to play at the highest level and thus develop their own games.
“We well remember the Netherlands’ famous victory over England at the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 and we are looking forward to a highly competitive game of cricket.”
Netherlands National Coach Peter Drinnen said: “First of all I would like to thanks everyone who was involved in making this possible. It is a great pleasure to be able to welcome a Full Member to our shores, giving us the opportunity to showcase the game in this country as well as providing an extremely valuable opportunity to our players to measure themselves against some of the best in the world.
"These opportunities are very important for our continued development and I know all parties here in the Netherlands involved in this series will be working hard on and off the park to ensure the SA touring party have a very beneficial stay with us.”
