ASIAN CRICKET COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE
Dhaka, January 16, 4PM
The twelfth Asia Cup will be held in Bangladesh at two separate venues in Dhaka. The tournament opens on Tuesday February 25th 2014 at Fatullah, with the Final on Saturday March 8th at Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
Five ODI nations are taking part for the first time, hosts Bangladesh along with Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan an ODI nation since 2009, are making their Asia Cup debut. Pakistan are defending champions. This year’s event has 11 matches, where the last two Asia Cups had seven each.
“We are delighted to be having the Asia Cup in Bangladesh again,” said Asian Cricket Council Chief Executive Syed Ashraful Huq after the signing of the Host Nation Agreement with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. “The success of the last event in Bangladesh, where the support of the crowds for all teams, not just the home nation, made for a terrific event. After what has been a particularly difficult time for the citizens of Bangladesh, people can once again unite in support of their country, their visitors and the Asia Cup, an event which over the years has held up the cause of a united Asia, the new centre of cricket.”
Bangladesh Cricket Board Acting CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to deliver a successful event: “We have a proud history of holding high profile international cricket competitions. I believe it is a tribute to the organisational skills of the BCB and the passion for cricket in Bangladesh that the Asia Cup has returned to our country yet again. We thank the Asia Cricket Council for giving us this opportunity and every effort will be made to ensure a smooth hosting of the Asia Cup 2014.
“The event comes at a very busy juncture for us. The ICC World T20 is only two months away while Sri Lanka will be arriving in Bangladesh in just over a week’s time to play a full series. This is a huge challenge for the BCB from an organisational perspective but I am confident that our dedicated work force will be up to it.
“Cricket unites Bangladesh like nothing else. I am sure that this time also we will see the same excitement, interest, fanfare and some great cricket on the field, all of which had made the last Asia Cup a tournament to remember.”
Mr. Huq added, “Bangladesh were beaten finalists on the last occasion and their development as a cricketing nation is significantly due to the support and encouragement of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the first few Asia Cups. Now we at the Asian Cricket Council are all delighted by the emergence of Afghanistan as a competitive cricketing nation. We have seen from their performances in ODIs against Australia and Pakistan and in the last two World Twenty20s how capable they are. Again, as a development body, the support of the senior nations for the Asia Cup makes the revenues generated by it fund development across all our non-Test playing members, of which Afghanistan is currently the most successful.”
Mr. Nizam Uddin Chowdhury echoed Mr Huq’s sentiments. Mr Chowdhury said: “Afghanistan’s rapid development speaks volumes for the development initiatives of the Asian Cricket Council. The participation of Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2014 will no doubt make the event more competitive. More importantly, it will also give their players invaluable experience.
“For Bangladesh this is another opportunity to showcase the progress the team has made over the last few years. We have some delightful memories from the last Asia Cup here and understandably there will be expectations. The fight for Asian cricket supremacy promises a riveting 12 days.
“We are grateful for the constant support and assistance we have received from the ACC and the Asian full member nations in staging this Asia Cup. I believe the event is a bold statement of unity, camaraderie and cooperation between Asian cricketing neighbours.”
The ACC Chief Executive went on to say “STAR TV are rights-holders of the event, having taken on broadcast and commercial rights from the previous holders. With a reach of more than 600 million viewers across India and with millions more across a hundred other countries, STAR are ideally positioned to transmit what is the one and only tournament in cricket where India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, now with Afghanistan, are guaranteed to play each other at least once.”
This year’s tournament is being played in a round-robin format between the nations. Play starts each day at 2PM Bangladesh time (1.30PM IST, +6 GMT). The interval between innings is scheduled at 5.30PM, with the second innings starting at 6.15PM.
