DHAKA, 7 March 2004 — The Asia Cup, the symbol of limited overs cricket supremacy in the continent, will be played in Sri Lanka later this year, it was confirmed yesterday.

The six-nation tournament, not held since May 2000 due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, will be organized between July 15 and Aug. 1, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) secretary Ashraful Haque said.

“We are glad the tournament will finally resume after a long gap,” Haque said. The continent’s four Test-playing nations — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — will contest the Asia Cup along with two unnamed qualifiers, Haque said.

India has won the tournament three times, Sri Lanka twice, and Pakistan once.

Pakistani Company Launches a Hunt for Another ‘Rawalpindi Express’

A state-owned cellular phone company has launched a countrywide hunt for an express pacer in the mold of Shoaib Akhtar to strengthen Pakistan’s bowling arsenal, a company official said in Karachi yesterday.

“We have launched the hunt to give Pakistan some really quick fast bowlers to assist Shoaib,” the company’s marketing manager Salman Wasay said. Shoaib, known as the “Rawalpindi Express” for his pace, is considered the fastest bowler in modern-day cricket and holds the record for bowling at 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour during international matches.

“I read an interview where Shoaib said he wanted a partner as quick as himself which motivated us to launch the speed king hunt,” Wasay said.

Fast bowlers have been invited to “speed king” camps in Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Lahore and Karachi at which speed guns recognized by the International Cricket Council are to be used to measure their speed.

The fastest five bowlers will be picked from each city to compete in the “speed king” final in Karachi on March 12. “The winner will be sent to Australia on a two-week training program,” the official said.

The first such camp was held in Peshawar Friday and the response was overwhelming, Wasay said. About 500 bowlers attended the first camp, supervisor and former pacer Sikander Bakht said. The two fastest bowlers managed 85 miles per hour, he said.

Shoaib said he was delighted to be an ambassador for the hunt for a “speed king”. “It’s something good to encourage youngsters to bowl fast and I back this campaign,” Shoaib said.

Confident Australia Face

Selection Headaches

Meanwhile, Australia face selection headaches as they finalize their team for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting in Galle tomorrow.

The tourists are full of confidence after a winning start to their six-week tour and the selectors now have to make tough choices in both batting and bowling departments.

“It’s always a problem when you are picking an Australia team and even more so with this squad,” Ricky Ponting told reporters. “We have 15 guys and 14 of those guys can put up their hand up and say that they should be in the Test side. They’re going to be some hard selections to make.”

Shane Warne is available after a 12-month drugs ban and should return alongside fellow leg spinner Stuart MacGill on a turning pitch. In the pace bowling department, Jason Gillespie’s name is inked in, leaving Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowizc and Brad Williams fighting for one place if two spinners play.