‘A 14-member Bangladesh cricket team leaves Dhaka this morning to take part in the sixth Asia Cup. scheduled to begin in Colombo from July 14 with world champions Sri Lanka taking on Pakistan in the opening tie.

Ranked outsider' in the four-nation tourney. Bangladesh, led by Akram Khan, will kick-off their campaign against Pakistan on July 16.

Reigning champions India, who won the biennial tourney four times so far. will feature in their first match against hosts Lankans on July 18. The Lankans lifted the Cup on their home soil in 1986.

Bangladesh, the only nonTest playing team in the fray, will play two warm-up matches against Sri Lankan President's ESwtn on July 9 and 11.

The sixth version of Asian meet will mark the fifth appearance of the minnows. But in a changed circumstances, the latest visit will certainly be a very significant one for the ICC Trophy champions, who have just been awarded with One-Day International (ODI) status by the world cricket’s ruling body. With the Test status in the reckoning. Bangladesh will be under the lens of the cricketing world.

On the eve of departure of the national team, coach Gordon Greenidge, who inspired Bangladesh to claim the ICC Trophy as well as a berth In the 1999 World Cup. was quite sceptical about the general expectation.

"We did not get enough time to prepare ourselves for the big occasion. Our preparation was time and again hampered by the persistent inclement weather. But still we've got some very lively wickets (laid by a South African expert at the Dhaka Stadium recently) to limber up," the West Indian coach told a crowded press last night.

"What I can assure you that we will fight with our limited resource till the last ball is bowled. Our approach will be always positive, said a confident former Caribbean opener.

"Over the last four or five weeks we have tried our best to lift the morale of our boys ... Now it's time to wait and see how they are going to perform in the field" Greenidge quipped.

SQUAD

Akram Khan (captain), Aminul Islam Bulbul (vicecaptain). Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Athar Ali Khan. Shahriar Hossain Bidyut. Khaled Masud Pilot, Sheikh Salahuddin, Mofizur Rahman Munna, Enamul Huq Moni, Saiful Islam. Naimur Rahman Durjoy, Hasibul Hossain Shanta. Zakir Hasan and Habibul Bashar Sumon.

Standby: Atiar Rahman, Zakir Hossain, Sanwar Hossain. Khaled Mahmud Sujon.

Coach: Gordon Greenidge. Team Manager: Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Tour Manager: Tanveer Haider.

Fixture:

July 14 — Srl Lanka vs Pakistan, R Premadasa Stadium.

July 16 — Bangladesh vs Pakistan, R Premadasa Stadium,

July 18 — Sri Lanka vs India , R Premadasa Stadium,

July 20 — Pakistan vs India , SSC ground.

July 22 — Bangladesh vs Srl Lanka, SSC ground, and

July 24 — Bangladesh vs India, SSC ground

Final:

July 26 — R Premadasa Stadium and

July 27 — Reserve day.