Scott Edwards, the skipper of the Netherlands cricket team, exudes an aura of calm confidence. Whether he’s on the field, strategizing with his teammates, or engaging with journalists, his quiet and assured leadership style sets him apart. “I’m probably not the loudest captain going around,” Edwards tells with a smile.
In the midst of the tense moments during their World Cup Qualifiers campaign, Edwards remained remarkably composed. His team achieved remarkable victories on their path to India, and he had an unshakable belief in their success. “I sort of had the feeling that we were going to get the job done. We may not have got the job done but I was pretty relaxed… if it was meant to be then we would win those games, and if it wasn’t then yeah, it wasn’t meant to be,” he simplifies.
This calm and confidence might be expected from an experienced leader, but Edwards, at just 27 years old, took on the captaincy role only a year ago. He stepped into the position during an ODI series against a formidable England side when Pieter Seelaar’s injury forced the change. The initiation was challenging, with England securing resounding victories, but it was a valuable learning experience for Edwards.
A few months before Edwards assumed the captaincy, the coaching staff also underwent a transformation. Ryan Cook became the interim head coach after regular coach Ryan Campbell suffered a health setback. Cook’s appointment as the full-time head coach marked the beginning of a new era for Dutch cricket.
Scott Edwards and Ryan Cook quickly established a productive partnership. Cook, reflecting on Edwards’ leadership, states, “I’ve learned a lot about him, a lot from him. He is a very intelligent cricketer, has incredible intel on the game and how he wants to play it. He is an incredibly authentic human, he is very believable to his charges and that makes him very credible because he shows up for his team when they need him.”
During the 2023 World Cup campaign, Edwards’s leadership was put to the test after two initial losses. Facing South Africa in Dharamsala, the Netherlands slipped to 140/7 in the 34th over. Edwards, with a score of 33 off 41, believed in his team’s ability to post a competitive total. His lower-order teammates, Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt, supported him with aggressive innings, and Edwards himself remained unbeaten at 78 off 69 balls as they posted 245/8.
Despite his limited experience in mainstream captaincy, Edwards has earned the trust of his teammates. He emphasizes his role in understanding and getting the best out of his players, relying on the experience of others in the team who have captained in various settings.
The strong partnership between Edwards and Coach Cook is built on a foundation of statistics, match-ups, and analytics. This collaboration extends to in-game communication and has resulted in successful outcomes for the Netherlands, including victories against South Africa.
Ryan Cook appreciates Edwards’s detailed and analytical approach to leadership, describing him as “the most detailed captain I’ve ever come across.” Edwards, in return, acknowledges Cook’s pivotal role, making the transition into captaincy smoother and effective.
The Cook-Edwards partnership has been instrumental in the Netherlands’ remarkable progress in international cricket. Their ability to defeat South Africa twice in World Cup encounters within a year is a testament to their contributions to Dutch cricket.
