Bangladesh begin what promises to be a packed few months of cricket on Saturday, with the first of three T20 internationals against the Netherlands at the Sylhet International Stadium.

For most in the squad, it will be their first competitive outing since the Pakistan series in July. The team arrives in Sylhet with confidence, having beaten Sri Lanka and Pakistan 2–1 in back-to-back series.

Head coach Phil Simmons, however, was keen to keep the focus narrow.

“Well, you have to run the preliminaries before you get to the final,” he said ahead of the series, brushing aside talk of the Asia Cup. “This is an international series against an international team. That’s where our focus is.”

Bangladesh captain Liton Das will lead a side that includes recalled batters Nurul Hasan and Saif Hassan, both returning after long absences. Simmons, though, insisted there will be no room for experiments.

“Anytime you play international cricket, you have to maintain a certain standard,” he said. “It’s about how we play, and how we keep improving.”

The coach also confirmed Shamim Hossain is unlikely to feature in the opener because of injury, while Parvez Hossain Emon has been passed fit after a shoulder scare.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, treat the series as a crucial tune-up for next year’s World Cup. Their last visit to Sylhet came in the 2014 T20 World Cup, when they stunned Ireland in a record run chase.

The first match starts at 6 pm local time, with the series to be completed on September 1 and 3.