T20 World Cup: Bas de Leede carries on Dutch cricketing lineage

NEW DELHI: Carrying a family name in sport can be a burden. For Dutch allrounder Bas de Leede, it has been more of a subtle reminder. The De Leedes are woven into the fabric of Dutch cricket. His father Tim de Leede played in a very different time, when the Netherlands turning up at a World Cup was an event in itself. Bas has grown up with those stories in the background, not as expectations but as context.So, when he played a decisive hand in Netherlands’ win against Namibia in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday — an unbeaten 72, along with two wickets — it didn’t feel like a son trying to step out of his father’s shadow. It felt like a continuation. Bas has never been pushed to become a replica of Tim. Cricket entered his life naturally, almost accidentally. “I first started playing cricket in the living room with my dad, just about the same time as I started to walk,” Bas said. The game stayed with him, evolving as he did. Tim, aware of how much cricket has changed since his own playing days, has kept a respectful distance. “He’s (Tim) always been kind of letting me go free and try and play my own game and not be too involved,” Bas said. Tim de Leede remains one of the most influential cricketers the Netherlands has produced. A hard-hitting middle order batter, a reliable bowler, and a leader who helped give Dutch cricket its earliest sense of belonging on the world stage. Tim played 29 ODIs for the Netherlands, captained the national side, and tested himself in English County cricket with Northamptonshire, Sussex and Surrey. His most famous moment came during the 2003 ODI World Cup in Paarl when he got the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar during a spell of 4 for 35. His figures also included the wicket of Rahul Dravid. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Matthew Hayden were also among his World Cup scalps. The 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean was Tim’s swansong. By then, the game had already begun to change. Perhaps that is why, when Bas began charting his own path, his father chose restraint over instruction. “I chat with him about his memories from the World Cups, which is a nice thing, but other than that not much,” Bas said. Advice is limited, and deliberately so. “In terms of tips, he didn’t give too much... to be honest. He played in the era where T20 cricket wasn’t a massive thing yet.” There have been moments when the past has briefly leaned into the present. “I think three years ago, when the 50-over World Cup was held in India, I spoke to him a little bit about India and Indian conditions,” Bas said after his match-winning performance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. But even then, he is clear about the boundaries. “Times have changed. So, it’s more about him showing his support to me rather than trying to get involved with a lot of tips because I think cricket has changed a lot since the days he used to play.” The De Leede name, however, is not carried by Bas alone. Younger brother Tom is already part of the Netherlands Under-19 setup, while cousin Babette de Leede is a mainstay of the women’s national team — a wicketkeeper-batter with 13 WODIs and 93 WT20Is. Their grandfather, Frans de Leede, played club cricket before becoming an international umpire of repute, officiating across formats and continents. Globally, father-son World Cup pairings remain rare. Don and Derek Pringle; Lance and Chris Cairns; Chris and Stuart Broad; the Marsh trio of Geoff, Mitchell and Shaun; Rod and Tom Latham; Kevin and Sam Curran are the ones. The De Leedes now belong in that lineage. Tim now lives a semi-retired life, coaching, consulting, running a sports shop and continuing to shape the Dutch women’s programme. A role that saw the side qualify for the World Cup. Bas, meanwhile, is shaping the belief that Dutch cricket can consistently punch above its weight.