For the six teams taking part in the European Division 3 Twenty20 championship in Slovenia next week, the immediate prize is a place in the Division 2 tournament in Belgium in June. But beyond that, there is at least the theoretical prospect of progress to Division 1, the global qualifier in the UAE next March, and the World Twenty20 championship itself, to be held in Sri Lanka later in 2012.

Hosts Slovenia are unquestionably the most experienced side in this opening tournament, having been taking part in European competition since 2000. Most recently, they played in Division 4 of the 50-over championship in Cyprus in 2009, where they finished without a win, but they will be keen to redeem themselves on home soil this time.

Batsman Tom Furness takes over the captaincy from Mark Oman, and the side will be reinforced by the return of Stephen Mayland, who missed out on the Cyprus event. The squad includes seven Slovenian-born players, including newcomers Blaz Praper and Primoz Pustoslemsek.

Of the remaining sides, Sweden have the best credentials, having finished second to hosts Hellas in the Division 5 tournament in Corfu two years ago. Seven of that squad will be in Slovenia, including the leading wicket-taker in Corfu, Afghan-born Azam Khalil, who took 16 wickets at an average of 6.31.

Khalil also hit a half-century as the Swedes ran up 348 for nine against the Czech Republic in that tournament, and they will be hoping that their hard-hitting approach will serve them well in the shortest form of the game.

It will, however, be a very different Czech team which will take the field at Valburga and Velden - only four of the side from Corfu, including captain Scott Page, will be playing in Slovenia. Notably, the squad includes three Czech-born 17-year-olds, in Adam Holub, Damian Kysely and Alexander Storek.

The remaining three sides, Estonia, Turkey and Bulgaria, all made their international debut in Corfu, each winning one match.

The Estonians will again have the leading allrounder from that event, Murali Obili, who made 146 runs and took 13 wickets at 9.62. Their five newcomers include another 17-year-old, Estonian-born Marten Kundla.

Turkey will field seven new players, with Huseyin Sen again the only Turkish-born member of the squad. The captaincy has been assumed by wicketkeeper Muhammad Aasim.

Bulgaria have yet to announce their squad.