Bangladesh to remain Asia Cup host
The Asian Cricket Council has decided that Bangladesh will remain the
host of the Asia Cup 2013-14. The other big news to emerge from the
ACC's meeting in Colombo is that Afghanistan will be the fifth team in
the competition. A total of 11 matches will be played in the tournament
with the opening game expected to be on February 25 and the final on
March 8, 2014.
"As of now, the decision has been made that Bangladesh will retain
hosting rights of the Asia Cup," BCB's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury
said. "We had a good meeting with ACC board members, and they have been
convinced that we can host the tournament. Afghanistan has also been
added to the tournament, making it a five-team event and the number of
matches has gone up to eleven."
Bangladesh's status as a host nation was in doubt following recent
political turmoil. In December, the West Indies Under-19s team had
pulled out of their tour after an explosion near the team hotel. Apart
from the Asia Cup, Bangladesh are scheduled to host Sri Lanka for a
bilateral series and will also stage the World Twenty20 from March 16.
Syed Ashraful Huq, the chief executive of the ACC, said the members did
not have any specific questions or reservations about the security
arrangements around the tournament being held in the country:
"Bangladesh submitted a detailed security plan to the ACC. If any member
has any other concerns, they should address it with Bangladesh."
ESPNcricinfo understands that concerns were unofficially raised by the
PCB about the security situation, with regards to the Pakistan team
being in Bangladesh in the current political climate. Regardless of the
announcements from the meeting, it is expected that further discussions
on the matter will take place in Dubai on January 9 during an ICC
executive board meeting, and a question mark remains over Pakistan's
participation in the Asia Cup. "They feel it is still a delicate
situation," an ACC member said. It is understood that the PCB will seek
advice from its government before making its mind up.
|
|||
|
The PCB's concerns have arisen in light of the diplomatic row between
the governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The issue concerns the trial
of 1971 war criminals in Bangladesh, which is taking place more than
four decades after Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan.
The ACC's decision will give the BCB enough impetus to convince Sri
Lanka Cricket of going through with the bilateral series, which is
scheduled to begin on January 27. Jayantha Dharmadasa, the SLC chairman,
said a decision on the tour would be made soon.
"Sri Lanka are also due to tour Bangladesh from January 24, and SLC is
presently conducting its own security appraisal. A final decision on
whether that tour will go ahead as scheduled will be made on January 9,"
Dharmadasa said.
The ICC, too, will hold security inspections in Bangladesh, before
deciding whether to retain Bangladesh as the host for the World
Twenty20.
No comments :
Post a Comment