For the Netherlands women, making it to the T20 World Cup in England was a big achievement. They showed what they could do given more opportunities. It was a dream come true also for their coach Neil MacRae, a former Scotland cricketer who has batted alongside Rahul Dravid. Excerpts from an interview MacRae gave The Hindu at Leeds:
Only 12 teams qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup. Not many would have predicted that the Netherlands would be one of them. How much does this mean to you as a coach?
I am really proud of the players and what everybody as a group has achieved over the last two years. I think for this Netherlands women’s team to reach a T20 World Cup for the first time is an incredible achievement. The whole team, staff, and organisations had to pull together. We have had exceptional challenges in terms of the amount of cricket we play, the funding we have got, the facilities we have got to train in.
Cricket is a global game, loved by millions, played by millions. Not many get the chance to play in a World Cup, so our players have made their dreams come true. It seemed like an impossible dream at the start. As long as you have passion from the players and determination to improve, it can be a great project.
We went to Abu Dhabi for the T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in 2024. I found we weren’t anywhere near the level of qualifying for the World Cup. We have had to work really hard for two years. We had to improve basic skills in batting, bowling and fielding. Fielding in particular. That is what has allowed us to get to this level.
It is remarkable that your team comprises players of Dutch origin, in contrast to the Netherlands men’s team that had impressed at the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup. They had players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa…
It is a very good point. Yes, it is a big achievement because I have a home-grown team from an associate country who fight for their country, who have got that passion, that has allowed us to come through. I have been with this team for just over two years now and they have absolutely inspired me as a coach and our coaching staff with the spirit they have and the dream they had. It became all of our dreams.
How long have you been coaching?
I have been coaching professionally for 17 years. An associate team is very tough sometimes with time and funding and there have certainly been huge obstacles to overcome. Reaching the World Cup is something that will never be taken away from them.
When we went to the Global Qualifier, the drama was incredible. It was almost like a huge event every game and as we built momentum winning games in a row to get closer to qualification, when we came to the game in Nepal against the USA to qualify for the World Cup, the emotions were at fever pitch and it was an incredible day where we had a run chase. Heather Siegers and Phebe Molkenboer batted beautifully and the emotion from the players when they qualified for the World Cup will live long in the memory. It was a great moment.
Fulfilling stint: MacRae’s time with the Netherlands has been rewarding. ‘They inspired me with the spirit they have and the dream they had,’ he says. ‘It became all of our dreams.’
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What resources do you need for developing cricket in the Netherlands?
The challenge in associate cricket is not like full-member cricket where you have got huge funding and facilities. We have had to try and make the best of what we have. We have had to train in indoor halls in the winter where there is no heating and the temperature is zero degrees. We have had to try and arrange fixtures any time we can.
Do you have some decent grounds to train in?
There are some nice club grounds in the Netherlands, particularly at VCC ground. We have had a training base which is close to the players and has an excellent ground with a good outfield.
Do you think the ICC could do more to promote women’s cricket in associate nations?
The ICC did add the Emerging Nations tournament in Thailand in November that we played in and that was crucial for us qualifying for this tournament because it gave us another tournament.
And there is this Thailand spinner, Thipatcha Putthawong, who was the world’s leading T20I bowler until Deepti Sharma overtook her during the World Cup.
Putthawong is a very dangerous bowler, particularly on wickets in Thailand that don’t bounce a lot. She turns the ball and she bowls fast. And there are talented cricketers from other teams in associate cricket. The big stumbling block for the associate teams is how much cricket they are playing to develop that talent.
What is the support for women’s cricket in the Netherlands like?
The travelling support, especially from parents, is second to none. It is unbelievable. In the women’s tournaments we have played, the Netherlands’ support has been fantastic. They cover the ground in orange flags, they wear orange clothes, they cheer every run and every wicket.
One of the big challenges is the amount of cricket we can play as an associate team and we have had to rely on the ICC tournaments for the majority. We could do well with a bit more bilateral series, with the bigger countries.
Stirring story: Many Dutch cricketers made significant sacrifices to get to the highest level. ‘All you can ask from players is to give you everything,’ says MacRae. ‘And they have done that.’
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Players had to make sacrifices to play at the World Cup for the Netherlands. Leg-spinner Caroline de Lange has had to put her career as a doctor on hold and she is the team’s leading wicket-taker at the World Cup.
Most have made sacrifices that are significant and all you can ask from players is to give you everything they have got in terms of their passion, their energy, and try to improve. And they have done that. They have done it session after session, week after week, month after month for two years and got to the World Cup.
Growing up in Scotland, how difficult were your days as a cricketer?
Well, we had similar challenges though it was a different time in cricket. There wasn’t quite the structure of ICC tournaments to play at that time. Growing up in the 90s and coming through Scotland junior teams into the senior team. I grew up in Aberdeen. There wasn’t the volume of fixtures even that there are now for associates.
Occasionally, I remember Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, they used to come on some tours. Dravid was an overseas player for Scotland in 2003. He was an eye-opener because of his professionalism and his consistency. He scored hundreds and just batted on a different level.
I got to watch some of those innings from the other end, batting with him. What was incredible about him was he was already a world superstar and so humble. Absolute class act on and off the field, but also an ultimate professional. Some of the standards he set and the way he trained and prepared rubbed off on us very quickly.
Published – July 17, 2026 11:55 pm IST
