Asia Cup begins Feb 24

The Asia Cup 2016 will begin in Dhaka on 24 February. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is holding the event that will run till 6 March.

It will be the 13th edition of the Asia Cup, the fifth to be held in Bangladesh, and the first to be played using the Twenty20 format, said a press release.

Along with hosts Bangladesh and defending champions Sri Lanka (winners in 2014), the tournament will include Pakistan, India and a qualifier. All matches will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur.

The qualifier will be determined through a qualifying round (Twenty20 internationals) scheduled to be played from 19 - 22 February at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOAS) in Narayanganj. Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman and UAE will compete for the lone spot in the main round featuring the four Asian Test nations.

The Asia Cup in the new format is also expected to serve as a preparatory platform for the teams participating in the ICC World Twenty20 in March in India.