Every time a player who has represented two nations in international cricket takes the field, it comes as a natural reaction to reflect on their past, and it becomes even more intriguing when the said player is featuring against his former team.
At the ICC World Cup 2023, in the Netherlands versus South Africa match on Tuesday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, a player who once donned the South African jersey was seen scripting history in his new bright orange Dutch kit.
38-year-old all-rounder Reolof van der Merwe is one of the rare players in cricket who boasts a 14-year-long career that saw him play for more than one nation.
On Monday, the lawyer turned cricketer became one of the key tormentors of South Africa as his former national side suffered a shock 38-run loss in what had otherwise been a spotless ICC World Cup 2023 campaign so far for the Proteas.
After falling to 50 for 4 and then stumbling to 140 for 7, Netherlands added 105 runs from the final nine overs in a rain-curtailed 43 over match. Coming in to bat in the 34th over the veteran combined with skipper Scott Edwards to put up 64 off 37 balls for the eighth wicket with his crucial knock of 29 off 19 to power the side post a total of 245 runs.
He then returned to make his mark with the ball. Coming in to bowl in the last over within the powerplay, when Proteas had just lost opener Quinto de Kock, the left-arm spinner produced a brilliant length delivery to send skipper Temba Bavuma (16 off 31) back into the hut.
Just 13 balls later, he struck again. This time he scalped the all-important wicket of Proteas number 3 Rassie van der Dussen to leave the opponents in tatters at 44 for 3.
The Dutch eventually bundled SA for 207 in 42.5 overs.
Déjà Vu From 2022
This wasn’t the first time van der Merwe rained wrath on South Africa. During the 2022 T20 World Cup in Adelaide, he witnessed the Netherlands' leaping minnows inflict South Africa's most embarrassing loss yet by 13 runs, knocking them out of contention for the semi-finals.
It wasn’t with the ball, nor with the bat that the Dutch stood out, it was his fielding that turned the fortunes in favor of Netherlands. Merwe, planted at the short fine-leg boundary, displayed exceptional athleticism when he took a diving catch to remove SA's last recognized batter David Miller and reduce South Africa, who were chasing 159, to 112/5 in the 16th over. It was this catch that assured the men in orange an epic victory.
"It wasn't my fault we were playing against South Africa... I'm going to say it was bittersweet. But as a professional, you've got to just get on with it. You're playing for a team and there's another 10 guys on the field who want to do the same as you. You can't let other things get in the way,” he would admit in an interview.
Rewinding Back to 2009
Before switching allegiance to the Netherlands in 2015 after securing a Dutch passport, the Johannesburg native had a rich history on South African soil.
Merwe started his cricketing career as a wicketkeeper-batsman, representing South Africa's national under-19 cricket team in that capacity at the 2004 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh. He then made his first-class debut for Northern in December 2006 before going into franchise cricket with Titans the following season (November 2007) in the SuperSport series.
The seasoned all-rounder made his debut for the national side in 2009 and represented South Africa in 13 T20s and as many ODIs between 2009 and 2010.
His aggressive style of play and valuable contributions as an all-rounder earned him the nickname ‘bulldog’. Apart from his international appearances, van der Merwe played for more than a dozen domestic teams and T20 leagues around the world, showcasing his versatility and skill in different cricketing environments.
Boarding the Dutch Flight
Despite his promising performance in his native country, Merwe didn’t get enough opportunities on the big stage which prompted him to make a life-altering choice.
Merwe relocated to the Netherlands and made his debut against Nepal in July 2015, becoming the fifth cricketer to represent two international teams in T20Is, thanks to his Dutch lineage and his mother's Dutch citizenship. He got his ODI cap for the country in 2019 against Zimbabwe. He also represented the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup in 2021.
“His indomitable spirit and defiance has endeared Roelof to the Titans fans and to a wider South African audience. He had a never-say-die-attitude and was extremely motivated to make a difference and to win matches,” said Rob Walter, his Titans coach, who is now the coach of South Africa after he boarded the Dutch flight.
Merwe was picked in the squad that traveled to India for the 2016 T20 World Cup. Interestingly, he was also named to South Africa's preliminary team for the 2011 World Cup. However he did not play in a 50-over World Cup.
With his immense expertise and fiery competition, his contributions to the sport have left an indelible mark, particularly in the realm of Dutch cricket.
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