The Netherlands cricket team has received a huge blow as the squad’s skipper has announced his retirement from all formats of the game with immediate effect. Pieter Seelaar was leading the squad in their ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Super League series against the England cricket team, but the all-rounder decided to retire as he was constantly nursing a back injury.
Pieter Seelaar led the team in the first couple of ODIs of the series. In the first game, the England cricket team set a new world record for the highest team total in ODI cricket history. Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, and Phil Salt scored a century each as the Netherlands cricket team received a gigantic target of 499 runs.
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In the second match, Pieter Seelaar won the toss and decided to bat first. England won that game comfortably as well. After the match, Seelar announced his retirement and said: “Since 2020, my back problems got worse to such an extent that – much to my regret – I am no longer able to give everything I’ve got.”
📢 ANNOUNCEMENT
Captain Pieter Seelaar announces his retirement
from international cricket due to persistent back injury.More ➡️ https://t.co/tP9bffXDhc#ThankyouPieter ♥️ pic.twitter.com/pnSAHisAmx
— Cricket🏏Netherlands (@KNCBcricket) June 19, 2022
England skipper Eoin Morgan wished him on his retirement and said at the post-match presentation ceremony. He said, “It’s been amazing. His contribution to Dutch cricket has been outstanding. On behalf of the England cricket team, we’d like to congratulate him on his retirement and wish him well on his next journey.”
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Pieter Seelaar played 57 ODIs and 77 T20Is during his international career. He picked up more than 100 wickets with his left-arm spin bowling. Seelar was a part of the Netherlands squad that played in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. During that mega-event, the Netherlands cricket team played a match against the Indian cricket team in the group stage. Seelaar dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag in that game.
