UPDATED 1115 AEST
Reports have emerged that the next men’s ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup will begin November 12 in Bangladesh.
Despite Nepal having ODI status^ it appears that due to the side finishing outside the top 3 at the Asia Cup Qualifiers last year Hong Kong, Oman and UAE will be the Associate representatives.
The T20 World Cup Qualifier will run until November 15 in UAE so they may be some overlap for the sides competing in both events.
The Emerging Teams Asia Cup will be another eight-team tournament after last year’s similarly structured 50-over event hosted across Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
UAE suspended three players including the then-skipper Rohan Mustafa after criticising the facilities in Pakistan last year.
Full Members Afghanistan Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play their respective under-23 teams (three overage players allowed in the XIs) and the Associates will be able to select their full national sides.
“We have the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, which is going to take place from November 12-25 and the team will be formed with cricketers from the HP unit. We also plan to tour Sri Lanka in August if the security situation gets better there. We are going to play two four-day matches and three one-day games in Sri Lanka,” BCB’s game development manager AEM Kawser was quoted as saying.
^We originally questioned the inclusion of HK over Nepal but have discovered qualification was based on placing at the ACC Asia Cup Qualifier in 2018. Hong Kong, UAE and Oman finished in the top three and therefore will compete at the Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
