Netherlands have named a 14-player squad, captained by Babette de Leede, for the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2026. The tournament runs from November 12 to November 25 in the UAE. The competition doubles in size to ten teams, and the Dutch face a demanding Group B draw.
Tournament Snapshot: Dates, Venues and Scale
The 2026 edition begins on November 12 and finishes on November 25, a window of 14 days. All matches will be played in Ajman across two venues, the Karwan Sports Club Ground and the Seven Districts Sports Club Ground.
The field has grown from five teams at the inaugural event to ten. That is a 100% increase in participants, and it widens the competitive scope of the tournament considerably.
Tournament key facts| Metric | Detail |
|---|
| Start date | November 12, 2026 |
| End date | November 25, 2026 |
| Host nation | United Arab Emirates |
| Venues | 2 (both in Ajman) |
| Teams (2026) | 10 |
| Teams (inaugural, 2025) | 5 |
| Defending champions | Thailand |
Group Structure and Netherlands' Path
Group B composition
Netherlands are drawn in Group B with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Thailand. That means four opponents in the group phase, three of whom are Full Members.
Thailand won the first edition in November 2025. They enter as the side to beat in this group.
Group A composition
Group A features hosts UAE, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Ireland and Sri Lanka. Each group has five teams, so every side faces four group opponents.
Group allocation and membership status| Group | Teams | Full Members | Associates |
|---|
| Group A | UAE, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Ireland, Sri Lanka | 2 (Ireland, Sri Lanka) | 3 |
| Group B | Netherlands, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Thailand | 3 (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe) | 2 |
Group B carries a heavier Full Member presence, 3 of 5 teams against 2 of 5 in Group A. On paper, that gives Netherlands a tougher group-stage profile than the other pool.
Squad Analysis: Continuity From the T20 World Cup
The squad is largely drawn from the group that represented Netherlands at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England and Wales earlier in 2026. Only Carlijn van Koolwijk and Hannah Landheer were not part of that group.
That puts the carry-over at 12 of 14 players, or roughly 86%. A selection this stable suggests the management values continuity in a short, 14-day event.
Squad continuity metrics| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Squad size | 14 |
| Players from T20 World Cup group | 12 |
| Additions | 2 (Carlijn van Koolwijk, Hannah Landheer) |
| Carry-over rate | About 86% |
| Captain | Babette de Leede |
Full squad
The 14 players are Babette de Leede (c), Carlijn van Koolwijk, Caroline de Lange, Frédérique Overdijk, Hannah Landheer, Heather Siegers, Iris Zwilling, Myrthe van den Raad, Phebe Molkenboer, Robine Rijke, Rosalie Lawrence, Sanya Khurana, Silver Siegers and Sterre Kalis.
Format and Competitive Context
The tournament brings together five Full Members and five Associate nations. Ireland, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are the Full Members. Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand and UAE are the Associates.
The 50-50 split between Full and Associate sides makes this a useful benchmark event. Netherlands will measure themselves directly against three Full Members in their own group.
Participating nations by membership status| Category | Teams | Count |
|---|
| Full Members | Ireland, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe | 5 |
| Associate nations | Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Thailand, UAE | 5 |
What to watch
Three factors will shape Netherlands' campaign. The first is how a settled core handles four group fixtures in a compact schedule. The second is how the two additions, van Koolwijk and Landheer, fit into the XI. The third is how they fare against defending champions Thailand, the only other Associate in Group B.
With results from the T20 World Cup group still fresh, this event gives Netherlands a clear opportunity to build on that base. Group-stage performance against Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will be the most telling data point for the squad's current standing.