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Netherlands captain Scott Edwards on Thursday stated that the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting on Saturday at the Sylhet International Stadium would be a great preparation for them before the T20 World Cup. 

Netherlands have recently booked their place in the World Cup by winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Region Qualifier. 

‘I think the belief in the squad›s been growing for a while now,’ said Edwards. ‘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.’

‘To get the opportunity to play here by the BCB is amazing. It›s a great warm-up for us heading into the World Cup and also for Bangladesh before the Asia Cup. So, very excited,’ Edwards added. 

This will be the first bilateral series between the two teams on Bangladesh soil. But the Netherlands have experience playing in Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup in 2014. 

A particular match in Sylhet, where they chased down 189 runs in just 13.5 overs against Ireland to qualify for the next round, was a memorable one in T20 World Cup history. 

Edwards said that Sylhet holds a special place in their cricket history. 

‘I wasn’t playing then (2014), but some guys were around,’ he said. ‘It was obviously a special match in Dutch history. There’s a bit of history around this ground.’ 

Edwards was excited to get the opportunity to play a series here. 

He said, ‘In different parts of the world, cricket means different things to different people. More media, more audience, all sorts of different things in different parts of the world. But as I said, it’s a beautiful thing playing cricket in a country like this.’