The Dutch selectors have named a total of 34 players in their two summer training squads, with twenty in the full squad and a further fourteen in the A squad.

The two groups will prepare for an unprecedentedly busy season, with three first-class Intercontinental Cup matches and at least 23 one-day games for the full side, and the A side involved in the Continental Twenty20 tournament and the European Championships.

Announcing the squads, chairman of selectors Darrin Murray said that their basis reflected the selectors’ desire to build a stronger base for the national team.

‘An increase in the amount of cricket played by the national team and the recent retirement of three very experienced players in Jeroen Smits, Darron Reekers and Edgar Schiferli,’ Murray said, ‘does require the development of a larger squad.

‘The stronger base will come from the development of our younger players, retaining current experienced players in the squad and trying to obtain long term commitment from players that may not be permanently based in The Netherlands but have a desire to play for The Netherlands on a regular basis.’

That said, there are comparatively few surprises in the selection of the full squad, which largely keeps continuity with the players who have appeared in the recent past.

Of the sixteen who took part in the recent tour to India, Dubai and Kenya, only Schiferli is absent from the new squad. The five additions are the Dutch passport-holders Tom Cooper and Derek de Boorder, seamers Maurits Jonkman and Berend Westdijk, and spinner Adeel Raja.

‘Westdijk has been promoted to the senior squad on the basis of his performances on the tour to India and his development during the winter training program,’ Murray explained, ‘and Adeel Raja is an experienced international who returns to the squad after working hard with Peter Drinnen over the winter period.’

Raja made the most recent of his 52 appearances for The Netherlands in 2008, and his return to the squad augments a spin department which also includes fellow off-spinner Mohammed Kashif and left-armer Pieter Seelaar.

Murray also commented on the inclusion of Cooper and De Boorder in the training squad.

‘These are experienced first-class players who have taken the first steps in demonstrating a desire to commit to The Netherlands set up by being part of the domestic competition for 2010, ’ he said.

‘There is definitely a need to keep a balance between the local based players and non-locally based players, but we should not underestimate the value that players like Reekers and Ryan ten Doeschate have added to Dutch cricket.’

The obvious feature of the new A squad is the inclusion of five members of last year’s Under-19 side: opening batsmen Vinoo Tewarie (VRA) and Dennis Coster (HBS), HCC allrounder Philip van den Brandeler, Hermes-DVS seamer Sebastiaan Braat, and Hercules Utrecht leg-spinner Lucas Brouwers.

‘We’ve added these younger players to the A squad to provide them with more exposure to top cricket,’ Murray explained, ‘and the opportunity to practice under Peter Drinnen with the best players in The Netherlands.’

Another newcomer is South African-born HCC seamer Bernard Loots, who will become eligible to play for The Netherlands at the beginning of July. In three seasons with HCC the 31-year-old Loots has taken 70 wickets at an average of 17.59 and an economy rate of 3.25.

The remaining members of this squad have all appeared in Dutch sides over the past two seasons, but two missing names are Quick Haag allrounders Jeroen Brand and Geert Maarten Mol.

‘Our selection rewards those who have put a lot of effort over the winter,’ Murray added on Sunday. ‘But we shall be continuing to watch developments over the early part of the season, and it’s not out of the question that other players will earn their inclusion by their performances on the field.’

The squads are:
Full squad:
Peter Borren (VRA), Derek de Boorder (Otago and Hermes-DVS), Mudassar Bukhari (ACC), Daan van Bunge (Excelsior ’20), Atse Buurman (VRA), Tom Cooper (South Australia and VRA), Ryan ten Doeschate (Essex), Tom de Grooth (HCC), Tim Gruijters (Warwickshire Academy), Mark Jonkman, Maurits Jonkman (both HCC), Mohammed Kashif (West of Scotland), Alexei Kervezee (Worcestershire), Ruud Nijman (Hermes-DVS), Adeel Raja (VRA), Pieter Seelaar, Nick Statham (both Hermes-DVS), Eric Szwarczynski (VRA), Berend Westdijk (HBS Den Haag), and Bas Zuiderent (VOC).

A squad:
Wesley Barresi (VRA), Sebastiaan Braat (Hermes-DVS), Philip van den Brandeler (HCC), Lucas Brouwers (Hercules Utrecht), Dennis Coster (HBS Den Haag), Wilfried Diepeveen (Voorburg), Tom Heggelman (Excelsior ’20), Somesh Kohli (Quick Haag), Bernard Loots (HCC), Thijs van Schelven (Quick Haag), Bart Schilperoord (Hermes-DVS), Jelte Schoonheim (VOC), Lesley Stokkers (Quick Haag), and Vinoo Tewarie (VRA).