JOHANNESBURG, Feb 23: Pakistan have absolutely nothing to fear when they play Holland in the World Cup in Paarl on Tuesday, not even flooding and tempests.

The Dutch players, rapidly emerging as the tournament’s best sports, would probably agree to wear goggles, water-wings and flippers if it meant the game going ahead.

Roland Lefebvre’s team almost went that far against Australia in their Group ‘A’ match in Potchefstroom, when blundering groundstaff spilled a vat-ful of water off the covers and straight on to the pitch.

While a helicopter whirred overhead, desperately trying to blow-dry away some of the damage, 15 orange-suited men got in a huddle in the middle of the pitch and took a vote on whether to play the world champions on the damaged track or instead sue for a share of the points.

“Those for playing?” said the coach and 15 hands out of 15 went up.

“Of course, we’d do the same again against Pakistan,” said Lefebvre. “As long as the umpires don’t intervene, we’ll play. Playing Pakistan is so exciting.

“The ball moved all over the place against Australia but it wasn’t dangerous.

“For most of our players, these types of games will be the highlights of their careers. And you don’t improve by sitting in the pavilion.”

The Dutch have put on a decent show at the World Cup, over and above that act of sportsmanship. Tim de Leede took four for 35 with his medium pacers against India to win the Man-of-the-Match award and scored an unbeaten half-century against England.

Lefebvre, once of Somerset and Glamorgan and due to retire after the World Cup — “I’m 40 now and my body’s knackered” — has conceded under three runs an over, despite struggling to take wickets with his medium pacers.

That’s a better economy rate than Muttiah Muralitharan and Glenn McGrath, and twice as good as Shoaib Akhtar.

When the sides last met, in September in the Champions Trophy, Holland batted through their 50 overs — something they have struggled to do at the World Cup.—Reuters