|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 16 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Asia Cup cricket July 16 to August 2 in Sri Lanka by Lal Gunesekera With both India and Pakistan once again playing each other after about 12 to 14 years, will certainly develop cricket in Asia, which suffered. Since they (India and Pakistan) started playing each other, we convinced Pakistan, who were scheduled to stage th Asia Cup to allow Sri Lanka to stage it from July 16 to August 2 and the Asian Cricket Conference (ACC) signed the host venue agreement with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Wednesday in Colombo. This was stated by Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is the Chairman of the Asia Cup Organising Committee, who also heads the ACC Development Committee, at a media briefing at Sri Lanka Cricket Headquarters. Dalmiya is also the President of the Indian Cricket Board. He further said that both Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates have qualified to play in this year's Asia Cup together with the four Test playing nations (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) and all games will be treated as official One-Day Internationals (ODI). There will be 13 games in all (nine will be day-night matches, while four will be worked off during the day). Pakistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong are in Group 'A' and will play all their games at the SSC grounds, Maitland Place, while Sri Lanka, India and UAE are in Group 'B' and figure in all their games at the Dambulla Stadium. These are in Phase I of the tournament, (July 16, 17 and 18) while the Phase II from July 21 to August 1 will be at the SSC and Premadasa Stadium in Colombo with a rest day in-between every game, but if it rains, the match affected will be continued the next day and not treated as a "new match". Dalmiya further said: "A high profile tournament of this nature has its logistical problems etc, but we have got the blessings of the Sri Lanka government who assured as the security and safety of all cricketers and officials with the ICC appointing the match referees and umpires for the tournament which is being held after a lapse of seven years. Dalmiya had also met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse on Wednesday for about 25 minutes and the PM has assured the former of all assistance. The Prime Minister is to be the chief guest at the final on August 1 at the Premadasa Stadium. He had also met the Deputy Minister of Sports, Sripathi Sooriyaaratchi, as Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga was not in Colombo. Dalmiya also said that the ACC hopes to raise as much money as possible from the Asia Cup. Part of the US Dollars 6.5 million from the ICC to the ACC is mainly for non-Test playing countries, but this time, the four Test playing countries will get the maximum while "some" will be given to the qualifying countries. Hopefully, the Asia Cup will be staged every two years, as finding a "slot" with the ICC's heavy schedule is rather difficult. The ACC is also hoping to stage the Asian Test Championship too very soon and talks will be held with the ICC at its annual conference in June. Among the others who were present were: Syed Ashraful Huq (CEO of ACC), Mohan de Silva (President, SLC), Lorence Amarasena (Secretary, SLC), Nuski Mohamed (Treasurer, SLC) and Duleep Mendis (CEO, SLC). |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
