Pieter Seelaar

Pieter Seelaar

Personal information
Full name	Pieter Marinus Seelaar
Born	(1987-07-02) 2 July 1987 (age 36) Schiedam, Netherlands
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	Netherlands (2006–2022)
ODI debut(cap  31)	6 July 2006 v  Sri Lanka
Last ODI	17 June 2022 v  England
ODI shirt no.	8
T20I debut(cap  7)	2 August 2008 v  Kenya
Last T20I	22 October 2021 v  Sri Lanka
T20I shirt no.	8
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I FC LA Matches 57 77 23 140 Runs scored 347 591 751 953 Batting average 11.96 17.38 24.22 14.43 100s/50s 0/0 0/1 1/2 0/2 Top score 43 96* 138* 68 Balls bowled 2,609 1,132 2,450 5,582 Wickets 57 58 35 126 Bowling average 35.68 22.24 40.97 35.07 5 wickets in innings 0 0 1 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 4/15 4/19 5/57 4/15 Catches/stumpings 18/– 32/– 6/– 55/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 17 June 2022

Pieter Marinus Seelaar (born 2 July 1987) is a Dutch cricketer and a former captain of the national team. He is a right-handed batsman and a left-arm orthodox spin bowler. Having played for The Netherlands at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels, he made his senior debut in a C&G Trophy game against Warwickshire on 3 May 2005. He then played in the ICC Trophy later that year. He made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka on 6 July 2006. Two years later, Seelaar made his Twenty20 International debut.

In April 2018, he was appointed as the captain of the national side, following the retirement of Peter Borren. ^[1] In June 2022, during the Dutch home series against England, a long-term back injury forced Seelaar to retire from international cricket. ^{[2] [3]}

Career

The 2008 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier was hosted by Ireland, the pre-tournament favourites. Of the six teams participating, the tournament marked the first time four of them played Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) including the Netherlands. In the opening match between the Netherlands and Kenya, nine of the Netherlands players, including Seelaar, were playing not just their first T20I, but also their first twenty20 match. ^{[4] [5]} Seelaar took two wickets while conceding 59 runs, ^[6] and after rain prevented the final from being held, the title was shared between Ireland and the Netherlands, both of whom qualified for the 2009 World Twenty20 in England. ^[7]

In April 2009, a qualifying tournament for the 2011 World Cup was held. It allowed Associate and Affiliate members of the ICC a chance to qualify for the World Cup, and the Netherlands was amongst the successful teams. ^[8] Seelaar picked up seven wickets from eight matches, on average each costing over fifty runs. ^[9] In June, the Netherlands participated in the World T20 in England. Though the Netherlands did not progress beyond the first round, ^[10] they beat England in the opening match of the tournament, an achievement hailed by captain Jeroen Smits as "Without doubt, the biggest day in Dutch cricket history". ^[11] Seelaar took three wickets in the Netherlands' two matches whilst conceding 69 runs. ^[12]

The England and Wales Cricket Board launched a new one-day competition, the Clydesdale Bank 40, in 2010. As well as the 18 first-class teams from England and Wales, two overseas teams were invited to participate. The Netherlands and Scotland made up the final two teams. ^[13] The Netherlands lost all but two of their twelve matches; they won one and the other was ended in no result. ^[14] Seelaar was the Netherlands' leading wicket-taker in the competition with 13 dismissals at an average of 28.46 and best figures of 3 for 31 (3/31). ^[15]

Seelaar was included in the Netherlands' 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup. ^[16] Losing all six of their matches, the Netherlands exited in the first round. ^[17] Seelaar was the team's leading wicket-taker in the competition with eight wickets for 306 runs. ^[18] Later that year the Netherlands took part in the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40. They improved on the results of the previous year, winning five and tying one of their twelve matches. ^[19] Seelaar took seven wickets at an average of 50.00. ^[20]

Ten teams participated in the 2011–12 Caribbean Twenty20: seven from the Caribbean and three foreign teams chosen by invitation. The three foreign teams were Canada (who had played in the previous two editions of the tournament), while the Netherlands and Sussex County Cricket Club replaced the two teams that had taken part the previous year. ^[21] Seelaar was included in the 14-man squad and took three wickets at an average of 20.66. ^[22] It was believed that the Caribbean Twenty20, held in January 2012, would provide good preparation for the Netherlands' participation in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in March. ^[23] The UAE hosted the qualifying tournament, and though the Netherlands made it to the preliminary finals they lost to Ireland and did not qualify for the World Twenty20 later that year, ^[24] with Seelaar contributing eight wickets from nine matches. ^[25]

In February 2017, during the Netherlands 2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Hong Kong, he and Ben Cooper set a new Dutch record for the highest partnership for any wicket in a first-class match ^[26] and the highest sixth-wicket partnership in the Intercontinental Cup, when they made 288 runs. ^[27]

In July 2018, he was named as the captain of the Netherlands' One Day International (ODI) squad, for their series against Nepal. ^[28]

In July 2019, he was selected to play for the Rotterdam Rhinos in the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament. ^{[29] [30]} However, the following month the tournament was cancelled. ^[31]

He was named the captain of the Dutch squad for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in the United Arab Emirates. ^{[32] [33]} On 27 October 2019, in the match against Scotland, Seelaar took his 50th wicket in T20I cricket. ^[34] In April 2020, he was one of seventeen Dutch-based cricketers to be named in the team's senior squad. ^[35] In September 2021, Seelaar was named as the captain of the Dutch squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, ^[36] with the International Cricket Council (ICC) later naming him as the key player in the Dutch team. ^[37]

In June 2022, during the Dutch home series against England, Seelaar was forced to retire from international cricket due to a long-term back injury. ^{[2] [3]}

References

1. "Borren calls time on Netherlands career". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
2. "Captain Pieter Seelaar announces his retirement from international cricket due to persistent back injury". Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
3. "Pieter Seelaar announces retirement due to persistent back injury". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
4. Ireland to host inaugural World Twenty20 qualifiers, ESPNcricinfo, 12 June 2008, retrieved 26 December 2011
5. tt1003 itt58 Kenya v Netherlands: ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2008 (Group B), Cricket Archive, retrieved 10 January 2012
6. Bowling in ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2008 (ordered by wickets), Cricket Archive, retrieved 26 December 2011
7. Ireland and Netherlands share the trophy, ESPNcricinfo, 5 August 2008, retrieved 26 December 2011
8. Kenya and Netherlands book World Cup places, ESPNcricinfo, 17 April 2009, retrieved 27 December 2011
9. ICC World Cup Qualifiers, 2009 / Records / Most wickets, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 27 December 2011
10. ICC World Twenty20, 2009 / Points table, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 27 December 2011
11. 'Biggest day in Dutch cricket', ESPNcricinfo, 5 June 2009, retrieved 27 December 2011
12. ICC World Twenty20, 2009 / Records / Most wickets, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 27 December 2011
13. Clydesdale Bank 40 unveiled, ECB, 15 February 2010, archived from the original on 24 April 2010, retrieved 26 December 2011
14. Clydesdale Bank 40, 2010 / Results, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 27 December 2011
15. Bowling in Clydesdale Bank 40 2010 (ordered by wickets), Cricket Archive, retrieved 27 December 2011
16. Peter Borren to lead Netherlands in World Cup, ESPNcricinfo, 1 January 2011, retrieved 27 December 2011
17. ICC Cricket World Cup, 2010/11 / Results, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 27 December 2011
18. ICC Cricket World Cup, 2010/11 / Records / Most wickets, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 27 December 2011
19. Clydesdale Bank 40 2011 Tables, Cricket Archive, retrieved 27 December 2011
20. Bowling in Clydesdale Bank 40 2011 (Ordered by Wickets), Cricket Archive, retrieved 27 December 2011
21. Netherlands, Sussex to play Caribbean T20, ESPNcricinfo, 20 October 2011, retrieved 26 December 2011
22. Bowling in Caribbean T20 2011/12 (ordered by wickets), Cricket Archive, retrieved 7 May 2012
23. ten Doeschate, Cooper to miss Caribbean T20, ESPNcricinfo, 24 December 2011, retrieved 26 December 2011
24. Siggins, Gerard (23 March 2012), Ireland edge one step closer to final, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 7 May 2012
25. ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, 2011/12 / Records / Most wickets, ESPNcricinfo, retrieved 7 May 2012
26. "We've proven to ourselves we can put up big scores - Cooper". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
27. "Record Dutch stand forces Hong Kong to settle for draw". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
28. "Selecties Nederlands XI voor Lord's en Nepal". KNCB. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
29. "Eoin Morgan to represent Dublin franchise in inaugural Euro T20 Slam". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
30. "Euro T20 Slam Player Draft completed". Cricket Europe. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
31. "Inaugural Euro T20 Slam cancelled at two weeks' notice". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
32. "Ryan Campbell announces squad for T20 World Cup Qualifier". Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
33. "Captains enthusiastic ahead of ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
34. "Papua New Guinea clinch T20 World Cup spot, Ireland on the cusp". CricBuzz. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
35. "Dutch men's squads announced". Cricket Europe. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
36. "Dutch ICC Men's T20 World Cup squad announced". Royal Dutch Cricket Association. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
37. "Netherlands out to rediscover T20 World Cup highs". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 13 October 2021.

External links

• Pieter Seelaar  at ESPNcricinfo