The Indian Cricket Board has sent its confirmation to the Asian CricketCouncil regarding India's participation in the redesigned Asia Cup one-daytournament to be played in Pakistan next year.
BCCI president A C Muthiah told PTI in Chennai today that being a member ofACC, India had a commitment to play in its tournaments. "If we do not playin these tournaments, it is likely that we will be out of context in ACC,"he said.
However, Muthiah clarified that participation in Asia Cup as well as in theAsian Test championship in which India is due to play Pakistan in Lahore fromSeptember 13 to 17, was subject to government's clearance.
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"Though we have formally agreed to play in these two tournaments, it ismandatory that we take a clearance from the government," he said.
Muthiah said both Asia Cup and ATC fell within the stipulations laid down bythe government which had ruled out bilateral series with Pakistan andparticipation in a tournament at a non-regular venue.
He hoped that the forthcoming meeting between Prime Minister Atal BihariVajpayee and Pakistan President General Parvez Musharraf would clear many issuesincluding sporting ties between the two countries.
The programme for the Asia Cup was decided at the ACC meeting in Lahore lastmonth.
According to the new format, six teams - instead of the usual four - would bedivided into two groups with the top two from each group advancing to thesuper-league.
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Besides India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - the original participantsin Asia Cup - United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong have qualified to play in theeighth edition of the tournament, to be held in August next year, as winners andrunners-up of the ACC Trophy tournament held in UAE last year.
The last edition of the tournament was held in Dhaka in May-June last yearwith Pakistan emerging victorious after defeating Sri Lanka by 39 runs in thefinal.
