Roland Lefebvre interviewed about the Emerging Nations Tournament
What does the Harare tournament mean in terms of Holland's preparation for Toronto 2001
Tony Munro
27-Mar-2000
What does the Harare tournament mean in terms of Holland's preparation for Toronto 2001?
The Harare tournament is an important aspect of our preparation for the ICC Trophy in Toronto, 2001. We have put a nice squad together and this tournament allows us to have a look at a few new and exciting players and give them the opportunity to gain experience at this level.
The Toronto tournament isn't that far away and we have to use every opportunity to prepare for tht. It is also a fact that the countries that participate in Zimbabwe will be the main contenders in the ICC Trophy. It is always nice to see where we stand in relation to our closest rivals.
Although still in the top five, is it fair to say that Holland is not quite as dominant as it used to be in Associate cricket? If so, what do you think is the reason?
I don't agree with the assumption that Holland has lost its place in the top of the Associate countries. It is a fact we performed poorly in Malaysia but if we look at last year's performance by our side we see another picture.
Holland won the European Championship without losing a game
Holland reached the fourth round of the NatWest Trophy, beating Durham and losing unconvincingly to Kent
In both Trophies, Holland wasn't able to field its strongest side
Coming back to the first part of the question, this assumption is, in my opinion, based on Holland's performance in Kuala Lumpur '97. Not enough players were able to come up with the goods at vital times. I think it is also fair to say that all second round matches in that tournament wer a bit of a shambles because of the bad rain rules.
It is absolutely necessary to have reserve days in place, particularly in the latter stages of a very important tournament when so much is at stake. All matches in that second round were affected by torrential rains, reducing the number of overs played and making the result look more like a lottery than a serious and fair contest for a World Cup berth. In those reduced games, the strongest team is not always the winner.
Holland was probably more negatively affected by the rain in that second round than other countries but once again we played poorly under pressure and on that basis did not deserve to go through. I am sure that Holland's success over the last two years has helped a lot of players to mature a great deal.
How has coach Emmerson Trotman changed the team's approach since he took over after the '97 ICC Trophy?
Emmerson Trotman as coach of Holland has many advantages:
First of all, he has been living in our country for over 30 years in which time he has learned all there is to know about the Dutch mentality and attitude
Secondly, he has played cricket at the highest level and carries a wealth of experience with him. He has all the respect of the players
Thirdly, he resides in Holland and is available throughout the year. In this role he is able to work with all age levels and can put maximum time and effort into his role as national coach.
I don't think he has changed the approach of the team much but his ability to find a very good balance between seriousness/hard work/discipline and fun/relaxation/enjoyment has done a lot for our players and given them more confidence in themselves.
There are likely to be two extra places on offer for Associate countries at the World Cup in South Africa in 2003. Holland missed out by two places for last year. Has there been much talk of that within the team?
No, we are perfectly aware about our chances, and as I mentioned before, we don't feel we have dropped much in overall strength. We do know that in an ICC tournament, a lot depends on how well we handle pressure and the form of the day will play a big role as well.
With Kenya and Bangladesh qualifying automatically, the main contenders for the remaining three places will be the same three countries that were in the last six three years ago, with Bermuda, USA and Canada dangerous outsiders.
The Dutch side has a few players who will most probably retire after this [ICC Trophy] tournament. To finish off their careers on a World Cup stage should be enough of an incentive to give that extra bit more for the team and ensure that the side achieves its goals.
Who are the players to watch in the Dutch team at this tournament and why?
The Dutch side will have a good mixture of experience and young up-and-coming players. In the bowling department, I think Andre van Troost is going to play a big role. He will have shaken off his injuries and be very keen to show all why at some stage he was regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the world. With two oldies, (Asim Khan and Roland Lefebvre) still bowling a tight line, combined with some excitement in the spinning department by Dik Kramer and Jacob Jan Esmeyer Holland will have enough bowling strength to compete with the best. In the batting department, Bas Zuiderent, who is currently our only player at first class level in England, and Tim de Leede will lead from the front. Luc van Troost will show all why he is currently the most exciting player in Associate cricket.