There’s a certain calm that defines Scott Edwards. It’s in the way he speaks, measured yet certain, and in how he leads the team.

A self-made cricketer from Melbourne, now the captain of a side that has slowly but surely carved out its own voice in world cricket.

From the outside, the Netherlands’ journey has been one of defiance: a team that turns up, often against the odds, and finds ways to leave a mark. However, within the orange, Edwards has been quietly stitching something more enduring: belief.

After a recent T20I series in Bangladesh, one that didn’t go entirely to plan, Edwards’ reflections were less about defeat and more about discovery, a hallmark of his leadership style.

“It was an awesome experience for us to be able to go out there and play in sub-continental conditions, which is not something we get to do too often,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t play that well in any of the games… but for all the guys there, it was a great opportunity to experience that, including the 21,000 supporters in the ground.”

It’s typical of Edwards to focus not on what went wrong, but what could be learnt. For a team still finding its rhythm among the game’s higher-ranked teams, these are precious miles. “It’s so different playing in the subcontinent with such a loud supporter base,” he said. 

“Even things like the dew factor and playing under lights, for a lot of the guys, it was the first time.”

Experience for the Dutch cricketers playing in such conditions and in front of large crowds is few and far in between, but contextually a very important one, considering the proximity of T20 World Cup 2026 is only a few months away in India and Sri Lanka where the conditions would be very similar. However, there is not a lot of cricket lined up in the intervening period.

For a captain who doubles up also as the Associate Members’ Representative on the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, Edwards understands the struggle beyond his own dressing room.

“Associate cricket is a tough world,” he said. “If you look at the funding model, you only get a fraction of what the top 10–12 nations get. You have to find a way, with minimal funding and limited fixtures, to compete and move up the rankings. For me, it’s about putting the voices of associate teams out there and advocating for the growth of the sport. We want the most teams we can compete in World Cups; we want an even playing field.”

The vision of a broader, more connected European game, ties naturally into what’s coming next: the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), set to launch in 2026. Edwards’ eyes light up when he speaks about it.

“I think it’ll be massive,” he said. “It’s probably one of the big things missing in European cricket. You look around the world and most countries have their own franchise competitions, and you see how much these competitions grow the sport and how players and teams improve.”

He adds, almost as a rallying cry, “Having the ETPL will be huge for the sport, in the Netherlands and in Europe as a whole. It’ll improve exposure, improve players, and improve teams. For us to get our own franchise competition next year is super exciting. All the guys are talking about it already.”

From the boy who once played club cricket in Melbourne and spent a season in Rotterdam to the man carrying Dutch cricket’s flag at World Cups, Edwards has travelled far. Not always loudly, never boastfully, but with intent.

Perhaps that’s his secret. He is a leader not defined by moments of noise, but by a quiet belief that the best stories in cricket are often those still being written.

So, having that rhythm, or the lack of it, remains the Netherlands’ biggest challenge.

“We don’t have any fixtures lined up in the next few months,” Edwards admitted. “If things come through and we can get sponsorships on board, that will give us the opportunity to play some sides in the lead-up [to the World Cup] and get the squad together for some camps. But for now, guys will go off to different parts of the world to play in different competitions.”

Not to dwell on the negatives, Edwards, ever the optimist, said, after a thoughtful pause, "There are pros and cons [to the lack of cricket in the upcoming months]. One of the big pros for us is that the next focus is the World Cup. A lot of other teams have bilaterals or the Ashes; for us, it’s all eyes on where we need to be. We’d love to play more cricket, but it’s not something new… it’s something we always deal with. Over the last few years, we’ve been very good at using our resources to get ourselves prepared.”

Netherlands are grouped in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with the likes of hosts India, Pakistan, USA and Namibia.

Although the Netherlands weren’t able to secure a win in Bangladesh, they have managed to leave an impression in their previous global events, regularly defeating higher-ranked teams. Ask the Proteas. Experience over expectation is very much integral to Edwards’ leadership. The Netherlands no longer look at big matches as rare spectacles; they are part of the fabric now.

“A few years ago, when we didn’t get to play full-member sides as regularly, those wins felt bigger,” said the 29-year-old. “But in the last 4–5 years, we’ve played a lot of matches against top-10 sides. We go into these games expecting to play good cricket and expecting to win when we play well.”

It’s a subtle but profound shift in mindset which saw from grateful participants to genuine competitors. Edwards has been at the centre of that evolution, his leadership less about grand gestures and more about quiet collaboration.

“I’m always learning,” he said when asked to describe his style of leadership. “I try to build confidence in the players and give everyone the opportunity to perform and play their best brand of cricket. I’m probably not the out-and-out leader trying to stand above the group; I like leading from within and inspiring the guys to be themselves.”

He credits much of that to head coach Ryan Cook, with whom he shares an easy synergy. Together, they’ve guided a group that has beaten South Africa at multiple World Cups, produced some of associate cricket’s finest moments, and found consistency in the unfamiliar rhythm of sporadic fixtures.

One of those moments came at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Dharamsala, a night that is etched in Dutch cricket’s legend and nothing encapsulates Edwards’ style better than that evening. The Proteas had reduced Netherlands to 50 for 4 which later became 112 for 6, but amidst the collapse Edwards stood tall to compile an unbeaten 78 off 69 balls. An innings stitched together with the lower order, lifting the Netherlands to a fighting total of 245.

Then, with the gloves on, he pouched three catches as his bowlers, rotated astutely under his watch, bowled out South Africa for 207. It was a night of resilience, clarity, and belief, qualities that have come to define both Edwards and the team he leads.