Sylhet, Aug 28 Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das believes the side’s upcoming three-match series against the Netherlands will provide ideal preparation for the subsequent Asia Cup, while he expressed his desire for the team to develop a habit of posting totals in the range of 200-250.
The T20I series between Bangladesh and the Netherlands is scheduled to begin on August 30 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. "In international cricket, there is no small team. Bangladesh have lost to different teams earlier- nothing new. If we lose, we lose. What matters is how well we play."
"Abu Dhabi will be batting-friendly, like Sylhet. But to score 200-250, we also need to build a habit. Conditions there are quite similar to Sylhet. We've trained under dew here, so the players know what to expect," said Litton to reporters on Thursday.
He also welcomed the return of Nurul Hasan and Saif Hasan to the T20I setup, adding that the team management has the duo in their long-term planning in the shortest format.
"I'm very happy they're in. Sohan has been consistent for years. Saif's aggressive mindset is what we needed in the middle order, and he can bowl a bit too. It's not like they'll be dropped after one or two matches," he added.
While Bangladesh's practice session was cancelled due to adverse weather, the Netherlands managed to do their net session in the afternoon. Skipper Scott Edwards expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete against Bangladesh, citing their recent win of the T20 World Cup Europe qualifiers and booking a spot in the main event to be held next year in India and Sri Lanka.
"You always go into every series trying to win. We expect to play good cricket, and if we play well enough, absolutely, we've got a chance. I think the belief in the squad has been growing for a while now. We've been playing a lot of high-pressure matches in World Cups and Qualifiers. Recent performances show we're capable of beating any team on our day," he said.
Edwards also felt the series in Bangladesh serves as a crucial preparation platform for playing in subcontinental conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup. "It's a great warm-up for us heading into the World Cup. After qualifying for the World Cup, getting match experience in Asia was one of our first goals. Playing three T20s against a strong side like Bangladesh in their home conditions is perfect for our preparation."
"Obviously, we can overcome the challenges. More often than not, when we play a series like this, you're probably getting two or three practice matches before the first game. A lot of our guys have experienced this before. In the subcontinent, we'll try to take our experiences there, and for the newer guys, they will try to advance their preparations."
--IANS
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