LAHORE: Pakistan and the Netherlands will play their inaugural bilateral One-day International series in August when Rotterdam hosts the three ICC World Cup Super League matches.

The matches will be staged at the VOC Cricket Ground on Aug 16, 18 and 21.

The two sides have previously met in the ICC World Cup of 1996 and 2003, and the ICC Champions Trophy 2002 with Pakistan winning all of them.

The three Super League ODIs were earlier planned in July 2020 but had to be postponed following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Hosts Netherlands have won two of their 10 ICC World Cup Super League matches, while Pakistan have a 50 per cent record in the 12 matches. The event will determine which seven highest-placed sides plus hosts India will qualify directly for the 2023 ICC World Cup .

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) welcomed the series against the Netherlands.

“We are pleased that with the support of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (KNCB), we have been able to reschedule the series, which is important to the growth and development of cricket in Netherlands as well as to the two teams chances of progressing directly to the 2023 World Cup,” PCB director international Zakir Khan said here on Wednesday.

“Our men’s national cricket team had an excellent 2021-22 season and I am confident they will build on the momentum to entertain expat Pakistanis and the Dutch spectators with good cricket. This series will also help KNCB attract new and young audiences towards the game,” Zakir added.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2022