Asia Cup 2022 Schedule: Marquee event to be played between August 27 to September 11 in T20 format

Colombo, March 19: Sri Lanka will host the Asia Cup T20 tournament from August 27 to September 11, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced on Saturday (March 19) after its annual general meeting.

All the five Test teams of the continent -- India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and hosts Sri Lanka -- will feature in the tournament, along with one more Asian side that will be decided after a qualifier tournament which will be held from August 20.

"The Asia Cup 2022 (T20 Format) will be held in Sri Lanka from 27 August - 11 September later this year. The Qualifiers for the same will be played 20 August 2022 onwards," the ACC tweeted after its AGM.

The tournament, that usually alternates between ODI and T20I formats, was last played in 2018 and won by India.

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced the postponement of the 2020 edition.

Sri Lanka were supposed to host the 2020 edition, but the pandemic first pushed the event to 2021 before finally being moved to 2022.

Pakistan, who were originally supposed to host the 2022 Asia Cup, now have the hosting rights for 2023.

The sixth team to join the tournament will be one of UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong.

UAE and Kuwait had made it to the qualifiers after finishing first and second in the ACC Western region event in 2020 while Singapore and Hong Kong did the same from the eastern region.

Jay Shah’s term extended

BCCI secretary Jay Shah's tenure as president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was on Saturday (March 19) unanimously extended by a year at its annual general meeting here.

Shah had taken over the reins of the ACC in January last year from Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan, making him the youngest administrator to be re-appointed as ACC president.

Addressing the AGM, Shah said the ACC's key focus would be to carry forward the development of the sport in the region.

"We remain committed towards ensuring the all-round development of cricket in the region, especially carrying forward the pioneering work in women's cricket and the multiple grassroot tournaments the ACC conducts in the region around the year," Shah said.

"The pandemic hopefully is behind us and I am keen that we adapt, innovate and help the ACC grow from strength to strength from hereon," he added.

Shah's extension was proposed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva and the nomination was backed unanimously by all the members of the ACC.

"I would like to thank all of my esteemed colleagues at the ACC for reposing their faith in me and considering me worthy to carry on all the work we had begun," Shah said.

"I humbly accept this honour and I am committed to working hard with a view to organise, develop and promote our beloved sport of cricket in the region, aiding the ACC to steadily grow in stature," he added.