Canada, Netherlands, and USA Set to Clash in Crucial World League 2 Tri-Series

The fourth tri-series of the current World League 2 edition begins on Sunday, with unbeaten Canada facing off against the Netherlands at the Westvliet ground in Voorburg. Following their successful campaign against the UAE and Scotland in Dubai back in March, Canada now faces more familiar conditions in the Netherlands. The first three matches are scheduled at Westvliet, before moving to Hazelaarweg in Rotterdam for the second half of the series.

Canada's squad remains largely unchanged from the one that participated in the T20 World Cup in June, with the notable inclusions of Harsh Thaker and Rishiv Joshi. Thaker, who missed the T20 tournament, returns to the side after impressive performances in Dubai, where he scored unbeaten centuries against both the UAE and Scotland. Meanwhile, Joshi, a left-arm fast-medium bowler, is yet to make his ODI debut but has experience from seven T20I appearances. However, with the presence of the skilled left-armer Kaleem Sana in the squad, Joshi may find his opportunities limited.

Canada will rely on a diverse bowling attack, with seamers Kaleem, Dilon Heyliger, and Jeremy Gordon complemented by Saad Bin Zafar's slow left-arm spin, Pargat Singh's off-spin, and Junaid Siddiqui's leg-spin. However, it is their middle-order batting, featuring Nicholas Kirton, Navneet Dhaliwal, and Thaker, that poses the greatest threat to their opponents.

The Netherlands, hosting the series, bring a more experienced side despite the absence of their county-contracted players. The team will miss Sybrand Engelbrecht, who recently retired after securing a regular spot in the batting lineup. Nevertheless, the squad has been bolstered by the return of Musa Ahmad and Noah Croes, the latter also serving as a backup wicketkeeper to Scott Edwards.

Coach Ryan Cook faces the challenge of selecting his top three, with Musa, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, and Vikram Singh all typically opening for their respective clubs. Although Teja Nidamanuru is out due to injury, the inclusion of Wesley Barresi ensures that the Dutch batting lineup remains strong.

New to the squad is bowling all-rounder Olivier Elenbaas, who joins a pace attack featuring brothers Ryan and Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren, and the returning wrist-spinner Shariz Ahmad. Clayton Floyd also returns to the squad, joining Aryan Dutt in the spin department.

In contrast, the United States enters the series as something of a wildcard, not only because they are yet to start their campaign but also due to a largely restructured squad. While nine players from the T20 World Cup remain, the team will see three debutants, including Smit Patel, who brings experience from playing with Gujarat in Indian domestic cricket.

Other new faces include Juanoy Drysdale and U19 World Cup standout Utkarsh Srivastava, alongside the returning Abhishek Paradkar, Yasir Mohammad, and Saiteja Mukkamalla. Mukkamalla, though only 20 years old, has already played 17 ODIs and has proven his batting prowess with an unbeaten 120 against the UAE in last year’s World Cup Qualifier.

The American side will miss the experience of Saurabh Netravalkar and the pace of Ali Khan, but captain Monank Patel, along with seasoned batsmen Aaron Jones and Steven Taylor, provide a solid foundation for the batting lineup. South African-born Shadley van Schalkwyk, yet to play an ODI, brings a wealth of List A and first-class experience, likely playing a key role in an attack that leans more towards spin than pace. The slower options include left-armers Nostusha Kenjige and Harmeet Singh Baddhan, along with Yasir Mohammad’s leg-spin and Srivastava’s off-breaks.

With the top four sides from League 2 progressing to the 2026 World Cup Qualifier and the remaining teams facing a play-off, every point in this series—and future tournaments—is crucial. The Netherlands, having secured only four out of eight possible points in Nepal back in February, will be eager to maximise their home advantage in this series.