‘Deserve to be criticised if we lose to Netherlands,’ says Bangladesh coach

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons said the team would rightly face criticism if they lose to the Netherlands in the three-match T20I series starting tomorrow at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

"Well, criticism is always there. If we lose against Australia, we get criticised," Simmons said at the pre-match press conference in Sylhet today, suggesting that a defeat against any side usually brings criticism.

The series against the Dutch, who are ranked three places below Bangladesh at 13th in the T20I rankings, offers the Tigers a final tune-up ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in the UAE.

The 16-member squad picked for the Netherlands series will also represent Bangladesh in the eight-team Asia Cup. Hence, while any slip-up against the Dutch would provide the Liton Das-led side an opportunity to work on shortcomings, it might also linger in their minds ahead of the crucial assignment.

"Losing against a team that is lower down on the table is not always a bad thing, because if we don't play well on the day, we deserve to be criticised. If we play well and they beat us, then they deserve the win.

"So, we don't think about losing to anybody. We think about how we play and the standards we want to set. And I'm sure if we play to that level, we will win," Simmons added.

Bangladesh hold a significant edge over the Dutch in T20Is, having won four of the five encounters.

The Netherlands' only win over Bangladesh came at home back in 2012, when they secured a narrow one-wicket victory at The Hague during the only bilateral T20I series ever played between the two sides so far.

This series also marks the Netherlands' first bilateral T20I tour of Bangladesh -- something that could inspire the visitors to try and make Simmons' men face criticism.