Defending Asia Cup champions Pakistan will reportedly play against hosts Bangladesh in the opening match of the tournament on February 25, according to the schedule unveiled by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) at Dhaka.
Bangladesh has been rocked by political violence in recent weeks, prompting speculation that the World Twenty20, due to be held in the country from March 16 to April 6, may be shifted elsewhere, although the Asia Cup organisers insisted that the tournament would go ahead even if one of the teams pulled out on safety grounds.
According to The Dawn, unveiling the schedule, ACC chief executive Ashraful Huq said that the teams' participation was subject to security clearance by their respective boards, although he was confident all five nations would take part.
The report mentioned that the tournament, which also features debutants Afghanistan, would be played in capital Dhaka and the southern suburban town of Fatullah, adding that each team will play each other once in the league, with the final scheduled at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla stadium on March 8.
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan cricket official said that the team's bilateral tour to Bangladesh starting on January 27 would go ahead as scheduled, the report added.
