For the Netherlands women, making it to the T20 World Cup in England was a big achievement. They showed what they could do given more opportunities. It was a dream come true also for their coach Neil MacRae, a former Scotland cricketer who has batted alongside Rahul Dravid. Excerpts from an interview MacRae gave The Hindu at Leeds:Only 12 teams qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup. Not many would have predicted that the Netherlands would be one of them. How much does this mean to you as a coach?I am really proud of the players and what everybody as a group has achieved over the last two years. I think for this Netherlands women’s team to reach a T20 World Cup for the first time is an incredible achievement. The whole team, staff, and organisations had to pull together. We have had exceptional challenges in terms of the amount of cricket we play, the funding we have got, the facilities we have got to train in.Cricket is a global game, loved by millions, played by millions. Not many get the chance to play in a World Cup, so our players have made their dreams come true. It seemed like an impossible dream at the start. As long as you have passion from the players and determination to improve, it can be a great project.We went to Abu Dhabi for the T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in 2024. I found we weren’t anywhere near the level of qualifying for the World Cup. We have had to work really hard for two years. We had to improve basic skills in batting, bowling and fielding. Fielding in particular. That is what has allowed us to get to this level.It is remarkable that your team comprises players of Dutch origin, in contrast to the Netherlands men’s team that had impressed at the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup. They had players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa…It is a very good point. Yes, it is a big achievement because I have a home-grown team from an associate country who fight for their country, who have got that passion, that has allowed us to come through. I have been with this team for just over two years now and they have absolutely inspired me as a coach and our coaching staff with the spirit they have and the dream they had. It became all of our dreams.How long have you been coaching?I have been coaching professionally for 17 years. An associate team is very tough sometimes with time and funding and there have certainly been huge obstacles to overcome. Reaching the World Cup is something that will never be taken away from them.When we went to the Global Qualifier, the drama was incredible. It was almost like a huge event every game and as we built momentum winning games in a row to get closer to qualification, when we came to the game in Nepal against the USA to qualify for the World Cup, the emotions were at fever pitch and it was an incredible day where we had a run chase. Heather Siegers and Phebe Molkenboer batted beautifully and the emotion from the players when they qualified for the World Cup will live long in the memory. It was a great moment.Fulfilling stint: MacRae’s time with the Netherlands has been rewarding. ‘They inspired me with the spirit they have and the dream they had,’ he says. ‘It became all of our dreams.’