Widely regarded as the best associate player to have ever played the game, Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate, unfortunately, feels he might never play for his country again.
Doeschate who scored a match-winning 78 off 46 balls to lead his side Balkh Legends to victory in the Afghanistan Premiere League, confirmed about ending his international career during a press conference. “My time is certainly up for international cricket, and I had some good times with the Dutch team. I haven’t played very much lately. My role now is to chip in wherever, as much as I can for the team,” he said.
Ten Doeschate, who has the best average (67) in ODI cricket, represented Netherlands in 33 ODIs, scoring 1541 runs with 5 hundred with two of them coming in the 2011 ODI World Cup. He has an impressive average of 42 complimented by a strike rate of over 130 in the 10 T20I he has played.
He made a name for himself in the 2011 ODI World Cup, he vanished from the scene after a fallout with the board. He announced his retirement from international cricket soon after but continued to play in various T20 leagues across the globe including the IPL only to return to international cricket in 2017.
The 38-year-old though doesn’t have any regrets about that.“For the experience I have and the conditions I have played in, I am just trying to chip in as a senior player. I am lucky I am in good condition at 38, and probably a bit more experienced than I used to be when I had a bit more pace and energy,” he added.