Dhaka – The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has designated Bangladesh as host of the 2014 Asia Cup after India withdrew as original venue due to a packed international schedule, according to a message received in Dhaka.The tournament will be played February 24 to March 8, the same dates India is scheduled to embark on the New Zealand tour.
The decision was reached at the ACC board meeting on April 8 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where India informed fellow members that it was focused on finalizing itinerary for the New Zealand tour.
After that, Bangladesh volunteered to host the Asia Cup, saying it would postpone the scheduled tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan that will be held around the same period.
The hosting job threw Bangladesh’s FTP schedules into disarray. Bangladesh is scheduled to host Sri Lanka for two Tests and three ODIs from the second week of February.
Bangladesh is also set to participate in a tri-nation series is also scheduled involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan and the World Twenty20s on March 16.
An official privy to the meeting said the dates of the Asia Cup could be changed as India has been trying to convince Cricket New Zealand to change the tour’s schedule.
India has been trying to convince New Zealand Cricket to trim the schedule of the New Zealand tour to two Tests, two ODIs and two T20Is to enable it to participate in the Asia Cup.
The ICC’s Future Tours Program (FTP) has India scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a single Twenty20 international.
