Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede has been crowned as the ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year for 2023 following an exceptional set of performances, particularly in the ICC 2023 ODI World Cup qualifiers as well as the main tournament in India.
De Leede becomes the second Dutch player after Ryan Ten Doeschate to win the ICC accolade.
De Leede played a total of 16 ODIs in 2023, claiming 31 ODI wickets at an average of 26.41 and an economy rate of 6.51. On the batting front, he scored 424 runs at an average of 28.26 and a strike rate of 88.15.
His most memorable all-round performance in 2023 came against Scotland in the World Cup qualifiers, where he scored a hundred and picked up a five-wicket haul as well. De Leede's efforts helped the Dutch chase down a 278-run target, which played a huge role in their successful World Cup qualification.
The all-rounder also became only the fifth player to score a hundred and bag a five-wicket haul in the same ODI contest, with Viv Richards, Amelia Kerr, Paul Collingwood, and Rohan Mustafa being the other names to have achieved the feat before.
De Leede also recorded impressive figures of 4-64 in his maiden World Cup appearance against Pakistan in Hyderabad.
“I'm accepting the award, but I think most of the Dutch boys would have been in contention for it. So it's a cool way to finish off a great year for The Netherlands," Bas de Leede said.
“Looking at my performances, it's probably the best I've played for Holland, which I'm very thankful for. I'm happy to have put in some performances to make that happen there," the all-rounder added.
De Leede is currently involved in the International League T20 (ILT20), where he represents the Desert Vipers.
Bas de Leede has played 39 ODIs for the Netherlands
The all-rounder made his ODI debut in 2018 against Nepal at Amstelveen, where he scored 30 runs off 60 deliveries and bowled 1.5 overs, taking a wicket.
The 24-year-old has scored 904 runs at an average of 24.43 while also claiming 40 wickets at an economy rate of 6.39. De Leede is bound to play a crucial role for the Netherlands in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, where the Dutch have been drawn alongside South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Apart from his 39 ODI appearances, he has also marked his presence across 31 T20Is and seven first-class matches in his career so far.
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