Netherlands’ Semi-Final berth in the World cup 2023 looks a distant dream: Ryan Cook

Netherlands

In a resounding display of domination by Australia, the Netherlands found themselves thoroughly outplayed in the 24th clash of the ODI World Cup 2023, in Delhi. The Dutch coach, Ryan Cook, expressed a sombre acknowledgement of their distant prospects for a semi-final berth, after enduring a crushing 309-run defeat at the hands of the formidable Aussie squad.

In the aftermath of the gripping encounter, Coach Cook candidly reflected on the Netherlands’ distant prospects of securing a coveted semi-final berth.

His remarks harkened back to their pre-tournament declaration, brimming with ambition, only to face their fourth loss in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Consequently, the Dutch side was relegated to the bottom of the points table. However, Cook seems optimistic and hopes that the Netherlands will still try to push hard for an ambitious semifinal spot. But it will not be easy as going forward the Men in Orange will have to win almost all the upcoming fixtures in the group stage of the ongoing World Cup.

“We’re going to back ourselves against any team that we come up against. Obviously, we do have four more matches left and we’ll be aiming to try and get as many victories as we can. We said that at the start of the tournament when we got here that we’ll sort of be pushing for the semi-finals. That looks a bit distant at the moment,” said Cook in the post match press conference.

Also Check: ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table

Ryan Cook admits to not have played good cricket against Australia

In a candid post-match analysis after the ODI World Cup 2023 encounter, the 38-year-old underscored the imperative for the Netherlands to consistently raise their cricketing standards over extended periods to compete with cricketing giants like Australia. He lamented the glaring disparity between their game plan and on-field execution, describing it as fragmented. The five-time world champions scripted an unprecedented milestone, securing the most commanding victory in the history of the World Cups.

“We talked a good game before the game, and we didn’t play a good game of cricket today. We didn’t execute our plans quite like we wanted to and then the fight that we have shown in lots of the matches we saw only glimpses of that and we need to play better cricket for a lot longer if we’re going to compete with teams like Australia,” he added.