CALCUTTA. Nov 10: Reigning champions India will take on minnows Bangladesh on April five next

in the inaugural match of the fifth Asia Cup cricket championship to be held at Sharjah, reports PT!

Announcing the details of the competition. Jagmohon Daimiya the secretary of the Asian Cricket Council, said the detailed flaws were chalked out at the ACC meeting here on November six to infuse life into the competition which would now be held after a gap of every two years.

Four teams — India. Pakistan. Srl Lanka and Bangladesh would play in’ the championship on league basis and the two top teams would clash in the final to be held on April 14.

There would be a total prize money on 75.000 US dollars. The champions would get 30.000 US dollars and the runners-up would received a sum of 20.000 US dollars.

The man of the-aariea would be richer by 5.000 US dollara and the man-of the match would pocket 1.000 US dollara in each match However. the man-of-the-match in the final would have 2.000 US dollars in his kitty The winners and losers of each preliminary match would get 1.500 US dollars and 500 US dollars respectively. Daimiya said.

The ACC committee has constituted a special commit tee comprising Its secretary. Asif Iqbal and Astiraful Haque, which has made several rec ommendations to improve cricket in Asia.

Daimiya said that from 1996 onwards competitions would be held amongst the associate members of Asia every two years in the year preceding the Asia Cup and the winner would play-in the Asia Cup.

The special committee has recommended that the 1996 ACC Trophy be played in Malaysia and a final decision would be taken at the ACC annual general meeting in Sharjah on

April 13.

Daimiya said that serious ef forts are on to promote and develop cricket in Asia so that an infrastructure Is created for Aslan countries to enter the International Cricket Council (ICC) the apex body of cricket in the World

He. however, denied that the fore mentioned efforts are for setting up a parallel body of ICC. The primary objective Is to make the ACC a more meaningful entity, he asserted

The ACC Is also contemplat Ing to bi^M a team comprising a cricket coach and an umpire whicht would visit different Aslan associate member countries and organise cricket clinics for cricketers and umpires.

Following is the fixture of the Asia Cup cricket

April 5: India vs Bangladesh.

April 6: Sri Lanka .vs Bangladesh.

April 7: India vs Pakistan.

April 9: India vs Sri Lanka.

April 11: Pakistan vs Sri 1

April 14: Final