Left-arm seamer Fred Klaassen is included in the full Dutch side for the first time, and joins a pace attack which also comprises Timm van der Gugten (Glamorgan) and Paul van Meekeren (Somerset), both of whom have been released by their counties for part or all of the three-match Zimbabwe series, Logan van Beek and Sikander Zulfiqar.
Van Meekeren’s Somerset colleague Roelof van der Merwe has also been released by the county, although he, like Van der Gugten, will only be available for the first two games. They will be replaced for the final match by Max O’Dowd and Saqib Zulfiqar, the latter therefore also in line for a first full cap.
With Michael Rippon also included in the 15-man squad the Dutch will be almost at full strength, only Pieter Seelaar and Viv Kingma missing from the selection because of injury.
Other notable inclusions are allrounder Shane Snater, who had an outstanding North Sea Pro Series, and hard-hitting opener (and reserve wicketkeeper) Tobias Visée.
The Zimbabwe series will be the first visit to the Netherlands by an ICC Full Member since South Africa played in Amstelveen in 2013, and it is a key element in Dutch preparations for the crucial World Cricket League Championship encounters against Kenya and Namibia later in the year.
As part of the build-up to the Zimbabwe visit, a Dutch squad will play three matches in Essex – including one against the county’s Second XI – between 13 and 16 June.
Twelve of the players included for the Zimbabwe series will also travel to Essex, and they will be joined by Klaassen’s new-ball partner for VRA, Quirijn Gunning.
Three of that party, Gunning, O’Dowd and Saqib Zulfiqar will then move on to Kent, where an A-team side will be engaged in a series of matches which overlap with the first part of the Zimbabwe visit.
Saqib will lead that side, striking inclusions for which are Hermes-DVS batsman Daniel ter Braak and 17-year-old Voorburg allrounder Bas de Leede.
National coach Ryan Campbell said as the squads were announced that the selections realised his promise that strong performances would be rewarded.
‘Shane Snater and Sikander Zulfiqar gave us no option but to pick them after standout performances for Netherlands A and in the Pro Series,’ Campbell observed.
‘Fred Klaassen has worked extremely hard to overcome a serious hand injury last year and a knee problem in pre-season,’ he added. ‘His left-arm medium pace gives us a different option and he is a legitimate wicket-taker with the new ball.’
Campbell went on to express his satisfaction that Van der Merwe, Van Meekeren and Van der Gugten had been released by their counties.
The full squads are:
Netherlands vs Zimbabwe, 20, 22 and 24 June:
Peter Borren (VRA, captain), Wesley Barresi (Quick Haag), Logan van Beek (Canterbury), Ben Cooper (VRA), Timm van der Gugten (Glamorgan, only 20 and 22 June), Fred Klaassen (VRA), Paul van Meekeren (Somerset), Roelof van der Merwe (Somerset, only 20 and 22 June), Stephan Myburgh (Hermes-DVS), Max O’Dowd (VOC, only 24 June), Michael Rippon (Otago), Shane Snater (Rood en Wit), Tobias Visée (HBS), Saqib Zulfiqar (only 24 June) and Sikander Zulfiqar (both ACC).
Netherlands in Essex, 13-16 June:
Borren, Barresi, van Beek, Cooper, Quirijn Gunning (VRA), Klaassen, Myburgh, O’Dowd, Rippon, Snater, Visée, Saqib Zulfiqar and Sikander Zulfiqar.
Netherlands A in Kent, 19-22 June:
Saqib Zulfiqar (captain), Rahil Ahmed (Dosti United), Umar Baker, Dirk van Baren (both VOC), Philippe Boissevain (Voorburg), Daniel ter Braak (Hermes-DVS), Tim Etman (Excelsior ’20), Gunning, Mahesh Hans (Dosti United), Bas de Leede (Voorburg), O’Dowd, and Rens van Troost (Excelsior ’20).