INTERVIEW
Follow UsThe match against Pakistan was a completion of a circle of sorts for Logan van Beek. When Pakistan toured the Netherlands in August 2022, there were a couple of matches where one felt the hosts would go all the way.
Van Beek was at the crease on those occasions and had the opportunity to win those matches for his side, but in the end, they fell short and succumbed to a 3-0 series loss.
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It was then van Beek decided to turn things around with the bat and not just take the team close but over the line as well. However, on Thursday (October 6) in Hyderabad, van Beek had too much to do when he walked in at nine, with his side needing over 120 runs. Battling cramps, van Beek showed a glimpse of his batting prowess, smashing run-a-ball 28 as the Dutch began their World Cup campaign with an 81-run loss.
That was the beauty of the ODI Super League. It allowed the Netherlands to compete against some of the top teams in the world. That gave them an opportunity to see where they stand, and they would find out that the gap is not that big.
“The Super League experience played a massive part in why we are here. Yes, we did not win many matches; we were close. We had a number of opportunities to win matches. One, they give us the belief that we can get ourselves into a match, the next part was learning how to win those situations - get ourselves in the game and then follow through and actually win those matches,” van Beek said in a chat with Cricket.com.
“At the time, it didn't look like we were improving because it was brutal at times and it was tough to lose a lot of those matches.”
Van Beek opened the account for the Dutch in the World Cup, picking up the wicket of Fakhar Zaman early. Soon, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam too were sent back to the hut, and at the end of the powerplay, it was the Men in Orange who were on top.
However, looking back at the series against the Men in Green in 2022, van Beek says, “Twice I was batting in the end. One game, we needed 18 off 12, I got caught at the boundary. Then we needed 30 [34] off 20 [13] or something then I again got caught at the boundary. They were two matches I was gutted. It hurt me quite deeply because I felt like I had the opportunity to win those matches there.”
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Since then, van Beek has worked on his batting, especially on how to manoeuvre his innings after he enters the fray post the 30-over mark in ODIs.
“A lot of my focus has been around batting from around the 30-over mark. The last five overs are straightforward, that's what I have been doing for the last 13 years, also bowling. Come in at around 30th over when we're in a little bit of trouble and navigate through that time to then set myself up better in the last five overs,” the Christchurch-born all-rounder explains.
“It's also winning the matches. It's going out there with the attitude that I will find a way to win this match. That's going to require the ability to play spin well, it's going to require the ability to bowl hard back-of-a-length fast bowling. So, that's pretty much been my concentration. For most parts, I'm going to play the situation.”
He got a chance to showcase his finishing skills in the World Cup Qualifier against the West Indies, where the Dutch were chasing 375, with van Beek smashing 28 off 14 in normal time and smashing Jason Holder for 30 in the Super Over before following it up with a couple of wickets to send the team in a frenzy.
“I spoke to the guys before that and I said let's just get into the battle and once we get into the battle, recognise the moment to strike and when that is, let's make it happen. Didn't realise the moment to strike was going to right at the end of the day,” van Beek said, speaking of the epic game against West Indies.
“It was one of those matches, where they came out, played their shots, got 370 [374]. When we got into the change room and the way the boys started with the bat, there was just an air of we know how to go about this. We did it by running hard, we did it by taking good options. Once Teja [Nidamanuru] and Scott [Edwards] were in and their partnership of 140 - that just gave us all the confidence, especially to guys down the order...we're going to go out there and give it our best shot.
“I should have won it in regulation [time] needing one off one, but the cricketing Gods had something else in mind. I'm thankful that they chose me to do something in that Super Over.”
Beating the West Indies ticked one thing off van Beek’s list, given his grandfather Sammy Guillen was from the Caribbean. Now, he has turned his attention to New Zealand at the World Cup – a team van Beek gave it all to represent at the highest level. Moreover, after finishing his career with the West Indies, his grandfather played three Tests for New Zealand too.
His cricket connection just does not end there. His brother Courtney, his grandmother Valmai Berg, great-grandfather Victor Guillen and Noel Guillen have all played competitive cricket at some level, either in the West Indies or New Zealand. Safe to say, cricket runs in van Beek’s blood. In fact, he has also played a handful of matches for New Zealand A but could not make it past that.
“I wrote the goal of playing the 2015 World Cup for New Zealand. Didn't go my way. Wrote the goal again for 2019 World Cup for New Zealand, didn't go my way. At the start of this year, wrote the goal again for the 2023 World Cup. As the year played out, I read the writing on the wall that I was not going to be involved with the New Zealand team,” Van Beek said.
“Therefore, there was an opportunity with the Netherlands and to do what we did at the Qualifiers was remarkable. Now sitting here in India on the cusp of playing the Cricket World Cup, something that I've watched all my life, something that every cricketer dreams of playing and every cricketer dreams of being in those moments to change the game. Now that I know I can do it, it's pretty cool to have that opportunity over the nine games,” Van Beek continues.
Other than New Zealand – a team that has some of his former flat-mates and friends, like Tom Latham and Matt Henry, among others, van Beek says he is looking forward to the game against India.
“The New Zealand game is going to be the No. 1 game because two of my groomsman, a lot of mates that are very close to me and a lot of guys I have played against over a number of years,” the 33-year-old said when quizzed about the games he is looking forward to at the World Cup.
“It's a team we haven't beaten before. Now that I've ticked the West Indies, New Zealand game would be sweet to be able to do it on a world stage and the India game is an obvious one. It's a dream to play India in India. To be able to do that at Chinnaswamy is going to be exciting. That's probably the two matches I am looking forward to.”
If the Netherlands are to get to their target of making the semis at the World Cup – a feat they nearly achieved at the T20 World Cup last year – there’s little doubt that van Beek will be a key figure with both bat and ball.
LVB 2.0 could very well be the answer.
