February 28, 2008	Thursday	Safar 20 ,1429

LAHORE, Feb 27: Pakistan will stage the Asia Cup limited-overs tournament for the first time from June 25 to July 6 in Karachi and Lahore this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced recently.

“We held a meeting in Delhi back in December and had decided on the dates back then,” Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, said, adding, “India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have confirmed that they will take part in the tournament.”

This is the first time the tournament is being held in Pakistan, and is the first edition of what was meant to originally be a yearly event, since 2004.

The preliminary group phase of matches will be held in Lahore, while the second stage as well as the final will take place in Karachi. With the scorching heat expected during the summer, all matches will be day-night affairs.

The PCB is also in the process of finalising a provisional itinerary for Australia’s tour, if it goes ahead.

After the decision to slash the tour by 18 days, the Aussies will now play two Tests, four ODIs and a Twenty20 international in place of three Tests and five ODIs as initially planned. Accommodation of a three-day warm-up is also likely.

Cricket Australia has called for a list of venues and it is learnt that Karachi is unlikely to host any games. Most of the internationals are expected to be held in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan.

Australia are due to send a security team to Pakistan before they make a decision to tour the country. They have not toured Pakistan since 1998-99.—Agencies