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LIFE IN LANKA

AL MUSABBIR SADI from Colombo
Harbhajan Singh received an aggressive welcome on his return to international cricket after an eightmonth injury lay-out when Bangladesh's new left-hander Faisal Hossain hoisted the off-spinner for a six over long-on in his very first over. Harbhajan however had the last laugh when he trapping Faisal lbw for 17 and went on to complete a miserly spell of 1-20 from his full quota of overs. Harbhajan last played an ODI in November 2003 against Australia at the Eden Gardens.
DYING IN PAIRS!
Bangladesh showed an uncanny knack for losing wickets in pairs against India on Wednesday. After the first two wickets fell on the same score of 10, Faisal Hossain and Ashraful also departed on the same total, 92. After a brief respite, Khaled Mashud and Mohammad Rafique followed joined in the trend as both were dismissed with their team on 117.
SUDDENLY SECURITY
The first week of the Asia Cup in Colombo was relatively quiet. But as soon as the Indian and the Sri Lankan teams arrived in the capital following their first-phase matches in Dambulla, security measures went up.
Policemen patrolling the streets in the night was a rare scene just a couple of days ago but things have changed dramatically. Interestingly, politics has got nothing to do with it. Rather, the heightened security is due to the presence of all the four top teams at the same place. Law enforcers have started checking
cars and night strolls are no longer so easy as one Bangladeshi journalist found out when he was challenged. Thankfully, he had the press card provided by the Sri Lankan information ministry with him to satisfy the men in uniform.
ACC EARNS LARGE
SUM
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has earned an impressive 19 million US dollars from selling TV rights of the Asia Cup to satellite channel ESPN-Star Sports.
"We are getting the amount for the 13 matches while our expenses were two million dollars," ACC's CEO Syed Ashraful Haque disclosed yesterday.
"The rest of the amount will be divided among the participants and money will be channelled to the Asia Cricket Foundation fund too," the former Bangladesh Cricket Board general secretary informed.
An ACC executive committee meeting will be held in Colombo on August 1 and Ashraful informed that the next Asia Cup's hosting will be discussed there.
"The ACC wants to take the biennial tournament to Pakistan, who have failed in their bid to host two past tournaments," he added.
Ashraful said that they were trying to stage the second edition of the Asian Test Championship next year.
When asked, the ACC CEO ruled out chances of cricket's inclusion in the Asian Games in Qatar in 2005.
"It is impossible to prepare a proper wicket in the desert inside one year. I don't really see any chance of cricket being held there during the Asian Games."