Under-19 Afro-Asia tournament unveiled

The Afro-Asian Cricket Cooperation (AACC) has drawn up plans for a six-team, 16-match Under-19 tournament in the Indian port city of Vishakapatnam. The competition, featuring teams from India, Pakistan. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and Zimbabwe, will be held from November 19 -27, 2005, and will be used as a warm-up competition for next year's U19 World Cup.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the Asian Cricket Council and chairman of AACC, explained the rationale behind the tournament. "Afro-Asian Cricket Cooperation is a regional body formed by the Africa Cricket Association and the Asian Cricket Council to support the development activities of its members across both continents," he said. "The recent Standard Chartered Afro-Asia Cup was the AACC's first tournament venture. An A Team tournament, featuring the players on the brink of selection for the Test and ODI teams, is scheduled to be held early in 2006."

Peter Chingoka, president of the Africa Cricket Association said: "These kinds of player-formative exercises are very much part of what the AACC aims to promote over the next few years."

The U19 World Cup will be held in Sri Lanka in February 2006. "Our cricketers all have ambitions to play at the highest level," said Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's chief executive. "Age-group tournaments such as these in different conditions against their cricketing peers can only help them on their way to the top."

"It's important that players get as much exposure as possible to top competition and different conditions," said KK Haridas, ACC events executive. "Vishakapatnam will provide a close approximation to what the U19 players will encounter in Sri Lanka."

In a joint statement, Hoosain Ayob and Sultan Rana, the development managers of Africa and Asia respectively, affirmed that "Alongside Africa's and Asia's existing development activities, these high-profile events are welcome additions. The scale and scope of our development program through the support of the AACC, to boost the efforts of all our members will be substantial".

The tournament will feature three matches a day, beginning with Pakistan v Sri Lanka, India v Bangladesh and South Africa v Zimbabwe, and two rest days between qualifying matches before the final on Sunday, November 27.