The Kiwis have added a Dutch leg to their elongated trip to Europe this summer, as they will also stopover in the Netherlands for a two-match T20I series in August.
Netherlands’ cricket board announced the fixtures on April 1, adding more exciting game time to their rare busy summer. The two matches will be played at the Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague on August 4 and 6.
For the Dutch, these fixtures will present a chance to build properly towards the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, provided they make the cut at July’s global qualifier B in Zimbabwe.
This will be their third marquee series for the summer after ICC Super League games against the West Indies in May and a month later versus England. As per the FTP, the Netherlands are also due to host Pakistan for three ODIs, included in the direct World Cup qualification pathway tournament, in the back half of their summer in September.
The Kiwis have shown admirable inclination towards upholding the game’s global health by extending their Europe trip. Due to arrive in England for three Tests in June, they will travel to Ireland for three ODIs and three T20Is – with the ODIs part of the Super League – immediately after. The team will then visit Scotland for two T20Is and a standalone ODI in late July before their tour concludes with these two T20Is versus the Dutch.
Over the years, there have been calls for established full-member countries to adjoin short but critical stopover tours of neighbouring lower-ranked sides and associates to their bilateral trips against fellow major opposition. But in an excessively busy calendar, such arrangements have been tougher to plan and execute.
NZ have to travel to the Caribbean, too, for three Super League ODIs and three T20Is in August, which, irrespective of them potentially resting their main players, makes it commendable for New Zealand Cricket to agree to play Scotland and Netherlands.
