Rahul Dravid’s men will travel to Singapore and Malaysia for the tri-series 10 days after completing their engagement in Sri Lanka.
MUMBAI: It is official. India will be playing a tri-series before the Champions Trophy. But it is neither in Canada nor in Australia, as is being reported but closer home in Asia. And the venue will be not one but two — Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
A highly-placed source told DNA on Friday that Rahul Dravid’s men will travel to Singapore and Malaysia for the tri-series 10 days after completing their engagement in Sri Lanka.
The teams awaiting them will be Australia and West Indies. The exact dates of the series are being finalised but they are tentatively expected to be from September 10 to 23.
The tri-series in Lanka will be over on August 29. The Champions Trophy kicks off in India on October 7.
India are sure to play four matches and if they reach the final, they will be playing one more match. As per the arrangement between the three teams, Australian Cricket Board will help the two hosts in the conduct of the tri-series.
The reason, the Board sources said, is obvious. The Aussies are closer to the two hosting centres. The BCCI will be looking after the more important aspects of the tri-series — that is marketing. Zee Sports will be telecasting the tournament.
The reports of an imminent tri-series was making the rounds particularly after Australia expressed a desire to play a tri-series before the Champions Trophy.
BCCI is believed to have tried off-shore centres in Canada, US and even Australia before deciding on Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
It will be for the first time that the Malaysia will be hosting an ODI. During the 1998 Commonwealth Games, there were cricket matches in Kuala Lumpur. But they were not official ODIs.
Singapore, of course, has already hosted ODIs. It was even hosted a tri-series. The last time an ODI was played there was in August 2000 when a tri-series involving New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan was played.
When contacted, BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi confirmed the tri-series will be played in the two venues. According to him, Singapore will be hosting the first three matches of the series. The last four will be played in Malaysia.
Modi revealed that Singapore matches will be day affairs while all the Kuala Lumpur games will be under the lights. The lights are being installed in Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysian capital will obviously be venue of the final. According to Modi, tenders will soon be issued for the instadia rights of the overseas matches.
The Board is likely to float tenders for its ratings. Soon, Modi said, the Board will announce domestic ratings for the players.
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