New Delhi, Feb 9 For The Netherlands, competing against top international sides often comes down to handling pressure in key moments.
Rather than overhauling techniques or obsessing over mistakes, the Dutch set-up has turned to mental clarity guided by team psychologist Tom Dawson-Squibb and a simple but powerful reminder stitched inside their Orange jerseys.
Senior batter Colin Ackermann revealed how Dawson-Squibb has influenced the squad's mindset, explaining the unusual technique that players now rely on when uncertainty creeps in during matches.
"Yes, Tom has been a great addition to the coaching staff. He works with us off the field to help us get the best out of ourselves," Ackermann said.
"We've developed a technique where each of us has two words that mean a lot to us out in the middle. Those words are printed on the inside of our playing shirts. So whenever you are in doubt or lacking clarity, you can look at them."
Ackermann, who is of South African descent, also added that the psychologist's role goes beyond that visible cue.
"He's worked with us in that regard, and there are a few other things as well, but I won't go into those here."
The emphasis on perspective was evident in how Ackermann addressed a crucial moment in the field, when Max O'Dowd dropped Faheem Ashraf, a missed chance, if taken, could have swung the momentum.
Rather than treating that error in isolation, Ackermann stressed collective responsibility.
"No, there hasn't been extra fielding practice. We only got to Delhi yesterday. But Max is good," he said.
"There were obviously many other moments in the game where we could have done better."
He pointed to the closing stages of the Dutch innings as a bigger turning point.
"If we look at the last five overs of our batting, if we had added another 15–20 runs, that could have been the difference. There are around 240 moments (240 deliveries) in a T20 game, so we need to be better in those other moments as well," he said.
Lack of regular games against full-member nations
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Looking beyond individual matches, Ackermann was clear about what he sees as the Netherlands' biggest limitation at international level -- a shortage of consistent games against top teams.
"Yes, I agree that the one thing lacking is regular exposure against bigger teams," he said.
"Coming into this tournament, our last match against a full-member nation was against Bangladesh in August last year.
"So that's something we're trying to change, that is playing more matches against stronger teams. We train extremely hard as a group, but we definitely need more match exposure against top teams."
When asked about scheduling decisions around fixtures, Ackermann distanced himself from that side of the game.
"I'm not too sure about that, to be honest. I'm not involved in those decisions. I just focus on playing cricket on the field, so I don't know too much about that side of things."
He did, however, highlight the professional grounding many Dutch players receive through overseas cricket.
"Quite a few of us in the team ply our trade in the UK. I think about four or five players play county cricket. I play for Durham, Tim van der Gugten plays at Kent, and Roelof van der Merwe was at Somerset for a number of years. So a large part of the team plays professional cricket," he said.
Ackermann also pointed to progress at home.
"The rest play club cricket in the Netherlands. It isn't professional though, but there is a professional structure coming into place. There are a few central contracts, I think around seven for the coming year."
For a team still fighting for regular opportunities at the highest level, the Netherlands are learning to control what they can -- "one decision, one moment, and sometimes, just two quiet words inside a jersey."