Be prepared to see some Dutch players mouthing both national anthems when they play in Dharamsala on Tuesday before South Africa’s World Cup match against the Netherlands.
Five Dutch players are South African-born, and each one just so happened to be wearing the prestigious orange jersey in India.
At the top of the order are former Western Province player Sybrand Engelbrecht and Leicestershire hitter Colin Ackermann, who has agreed to join Durham next summer.
Roelof van der Merwe, a spinning all-rounder for Somerset, comes in somewhat later to give the middle order a bit of biff.
Fast medium bowler Ryan Klein, the youngest of the five at 26, and 39-year-old Wesley Barresi, a veteran of the 2011 World Cup, both play their cricket in the Netherlands.
“Ackermann has already showed his class, Barresi and Van Der Merwe are very experienced and very important to the success of the team,” former opener Stephan Myburgh told AFP.
“I’m looking forward to seeing more of Engelbrecht and Klein on the international scene, both of them are extremely good players.”
Pretoria-born Myburgh, 39, was a pretty handy player too before he retired after last year’s T20 World Cup.
He hit four 50s for the Dutch in ODIs and a 50 in 17 balls in a T20 match. In the Netherlands’ triumph over the Proteas last year, which destroyed South Africa’s aspirations of winning the T20 World Cup, he also contributed a crucial 37.
“It was without doubt a highlight of my career and a day I’m extremely proud off but I did feel extremely sorry for South Africa,” says Myburgh who will be watching Tuesday’s game from his home just north of Rotterdam.
