Asian Test Championship likely to resume

The Asian Test Championships, which was last played in 2001, is likely to be revived. According to a report by Press Trust of India, Mohammad Ashraful Haq, the chief executive of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), stated that the tournament, which pits together all the Asian Test-playing nations, would resume in 2005 and would be held every two years. With the Asia Cup being a biennial event as well, this would ensure that either the Asian Test Championships or the Asia Cup is held every year.

Haq was in favour of including the results from the Asian Test Championship matches into the official rankings, and also expressed the hope that this event could be fitted into an already packed international calendar. He also indicated that Pakistan were most likely to host the Asia Cup in 2006. A final decision on this is expected during the ACC's general body meeting, which will be held in Colombo on August 1.

The first edition of the Asian Test Championship was held in 1998-99, and was the only occasion when Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka all participated. Pakistan won that edition, beating Sri Lanka in the final. However, the Sri Lankans had their revenge a couple of years later - in a tournament from which India pulled out - when they thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets at Lahore to lift the trophy.