Paul van Meekeren

He rose through Dutch age group sides before his senior breakthrough in 2013, when he made his T20 international debut against Kenya at 20. That same year brought his first List A appearance, during the Netherlands' last season in the English domestic one-day competition, and later that summer he won his first ODI cap in a single fixture against South Africa at Amstelveen. In the national team he takes on the role of an aggressive enforcer with the ball and can also contribute useful hitting late in an innings.

The 2016 T20 World Cup was a significant moment. Figures of 4-11 against Ireland caught the attention of franchise teams and led to a spell with the Winnipeg Hawks in the GT20L. His habit of removing important batters also brought interest from England, and Somerset signed him for the 2016 season. He claimed three wickets on his first appearance, against a visiting Pakistan side, but could not secure a regular first-team spot and was let go two years later.

Rather than leave, he stayed in England to play club cricket, at one point working as an Uber Eats courier to make ends meet. A short stint with Durham in the T20 Blast did not turn into a lasting deal, but it helped earn him a place with the Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the 2021 CPL. Gloucestershire then gave him a contract for 2022, which also turned out to be brief and reduced his availability for the Netherlands during their home season.

As a result he missed a large part of the Dutch Super League campaign and the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier. Even so, he is still a regular choice in the ODI side whenever he is available and remains a fixture in the T20 team.