Bangladesh W/Cup team to play Red ForceBy STEPHON NICHOLAS Saturday, August 18 2012
CRICKET lovers throughout this country will be getting the chance to see Bangladesh’s World Cup T20 team as well as the Red Force in action from September 6-8 when the inaugural “Asia vs The Caribbean” competition bowls off at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.
The quadrangular tournament, which also features Barbados and Afghanistan, was launched yesterday by All Sport Promotions in association with the Ministry of Tourism and will be staged at a cost of approximately $3.4 million.
The competition, which will see the winner take home a whopping US$50,000 purse, will be used as preparation for the Bangladesh and TT team for the World Cup and Champions League respectively.
The Bangladeshis have already named their squad which includes ICC top-ranked allrounder Shakib Al-Hasan, pacer Mashrafe Mortaza, their skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and the explosive opening batsman Tamim Iqbal.
Speaking at yesterday’s launch, Anthony Harford, director, All Sport Promotions, said the competition will become annual and is very excited about its potential.
He noted that Afghanistan have progressed from Division V of the ICC to Division I in five years and is definitely a team on the up. He cited victories over Ireland as proof that Afghanistan are a team not to be underestimated.
The tournament opens on September 6 with Barbados taking on the Bangladesh XI at 3.45 pm while TT battle the Afghans at 7.15pm. On September 7, the two Asian teams meet at 3.45 pm while at 7.15 pm TT take on their arch-rival Barbados.
On September 8, Barbados and Afghanistan play at 3.45 pm while TT and Bangladesh close the show at 7.15pm.
Cricket fans in the sister isle have not been left out and will get the chance to see the Bangladeshis in action on September 5 against a Tobago XI.
Tickets will be on sale from today at Ramsingh’s Sports World — Couva/ Chaguanas and at Kenny’s Sports Centre throughout the country.
Tickets are priced daily at $100 while a season ticket costs $250.
There will be five spectator prizes on each night of cricket and one lucky patron will receive the grand prize of a Virgin Atlantic ticket for two to the United Kingdom.
Matches will be seen live in Bangladesh and streaming in the Caribbean. There will also be a live broadcast of matches in TT.
Meanwhile, Dudnath Ramkessoon, first vice-president, Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), expressed his organisation’s support of the venture and is pleased that it will afford his team a much-needed Champions League tune-up.
“We are pleased to be associated with this competition and I commend All Sport for putting together and event of this magnitude. The TTCB fully support this event which also has the blessing of the WICB (West Indies Cricket Board),” he stated.
“It will be a critical part of our preparation and the calibre of players that we will be engaging will certainly serve the team well,” he continued.
Ramkessoon was also elated to hear that the Ministry of Tourism was part of the project as T20 cricket is one of the most recognised brands in the world.
“The Ministry of Tourism can use the TT T20 team to help promote this country internationally,” he said, while pointing out how popular the Red Force team became with the people of India at last year’s Champions League.
There is also a thrust by the Caribbean Superstation in partnership with Hott 93 to promote the event throughout the Caribbean so fans will make the trip to Trinidad for the matches.
