Asia Cup and Afro-Asia Cup postponed

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) have stated that the Asia Cup has again been deferred until April 2008. This is the second time the tournament has been postponed after India's hectic schedule prevented the 2006 Cup from taking place this February.

The second edition of the Afro-Asia Cup, originally scheduled for September this year in India, has also been postponed - it will now take place in June 2007. Africa will play host to the tournament for the second time in a row, after the inaugural competition in 2005. Asia will host the next one in June 2008 in Malaysia, Niranjan Shah, the Board of Control for Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, told PTI.

"It was sad that the ninth Asia Cup had to be postponed," said Ashraful Huq, ACC's chief executive, but the executive board meeting has agreed to host the event in the second week of April in 2008."

India complained that their schedule earlier in the year simply didn't allow the time for another one-day tournament. After touring Pakistan, they were due to play the Asia Cup before hosting England which, the administrators felt, could have led to player burnout.

"We honoured India's request despite suffering financial losses," said Huq, "but we hope the event will now be held regularly."

Defending champions Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Oman will take part in the tournament. Pakistan has never hosted the event due to political tensions with India but were given the hosting rights after both countries resumed their bilateral cricketing ties in 2004. Sri Lanka hosted the last Asia Cup two years ago.