Another piece of the jigsaw that is the reorganisation of the KNCB fitted into place this week with the announcement that a new Youth Committee has been established, under the chairmanship of Excelsior ’20’s Jos Heggelman.

The committee’s remit will include not only oversight of the Dutch Lions programme, which is the Bond’s system of national youth squads, but also the development of junior cricket more generally. Other members are former international Tim de Leede, Mohammad Shahbaz Bashir, and KNCB director of cricket Roland Lefebvre and cricket development manager Marike Dickmann.

There has not been a Youth Committee within the KNCB structure since 2008, when the members of the committee which existed at that time resigned en bloc. Two, Gijs Tettelaar and Albert van Nierop, subsequently joined the Board, but for differing reasons both stood down in the course of last year, and youth cricket has since existed without either formal representation on the Board or a policy committee. Heggelman, ICC Europe’s Volunteer of the Year in 2008, was a member of the previous committee, and will therefore provide continuity as the new group begins its work.

KNCB CEO Richard Cox welcomed the move: ‘Following the recent review of Youth Cricket that I have undertaken with the staff,’ he said, ‘I am delighted to see the new Youth Committee is up and running, and I am looking forward to being part of the discussions and actions on the development of the game.

‘It is important to note that the Committee will cover all aspects of youth cricket including – coaching, community schemes, camps, club youth cricket and the development of the game at large – and in Marike and Roland we have the ideal people to move our development programme forward at all levels.’

Lefebvre and Dickmann echoed the CEO’s sentiments. Lefebvre commented: ‘I am delighted to once again work together with a group of people who have an absolute passion for cricket and in particular the development of young cricketers in Holland.’

Dickmann added: ‘I am very pleased to strengthen the co-operation between the clubs and the KNCB through the new Youth Committee, in which the benefits to all children of all levels are being represented, to ensure the future of our game and sports community in the Netherlands.’

The announcement comes at a significant moment, with critics of the decision to recruit overseas players with first-class experience to boost the national squad raising questions about the KNCB’s commitment to its youth development programmes.

It is clear from the tone of the statements by Bond officials that they recognise that there is no easy fix, and that renewed effort is required at both national and club levels if a strong base is to be created.

With only 18 of the KNCB’s 48 active member clubs having fielded any teams in the age-group competitions last season, much work needs to be done, while at the same time the relative lack of success of national sides in European tournaments suggests that the existing systems for youth development are also capable of improvement.

The causes of the current situation are complex, and when the new Youth Committee meets for the first time on 22 March it will undoubtedly have plenty to discuss.