Asian Test Championship
Encyclopedia
The ACC Asian Test Championship is a professional Test cricket
tournament contested between the Test playing nations of Asia
: India
, Pakistan
, Sri Lanka
and Bangladesh
. It is not a regular event in the cricketing calendar and has so far been held only twice; in 1998-99
when Pakistan won and in 2001-02
with Sri Lanka as champions. It was originally planned that the tournament would be held every two years, alternatively with the Asia Cup
.
The Asian Test Championship is only the second example of a Test cricket tournament involving more than two teams, the first being the 1912 Triangular Tournament
, which was held between Australia
, England
and South Africa
. This tournament was considered to be the predecessor to the Test Cricket World Cup
that the International Cricket Council was planning for the 9 member nations.
In 2006, the Asian Cricket Council
canceled Asian Test Championship as well as the Asian and African Cup due to the tightly packed international cricket tour schedule. The third installment of the Championship had been delayed by four years due to conflicting tours of the participating members. Moreover, with the arrival of the official ICC Test Championship which has largely served to show a more balanced approach to test ratings, interest in the Asian Test Championship has waned.
, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka
competed in the inaugural Asian Test Championship between February and March 1999. Bangladesh could not compete because the ICC
had not granted them Test status.
Three round-robin
matches
were played by the three competing sides. A win was worth 12 points, a tie 6 points and no points were awarded for a draw or loss. In addition to this, bonus points were awarded to teams for bowling
and batting
performances.
The venues of the round robin matches were rotated between the three countries, with the final to be held in Dhaka
, Bangladesh
as a neutral venue.
Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka
by an innings and 175 runs in the final to become the first Asian Test Champions.
, Pakistan
, Sri Lanka
competed in the second Asian Test Championship between August 2001 and March 2002. India pulled out of the tournament due to political tensions with Pakistan
.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka both played Bangladesh in the two round robin matches. A win was worth 16 points, a tie 8 points and no points were awarded for a draw or loss. In addition to this, bonus points were awarded to teams for bowling
and batting
performances. Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified for the final after convincingly beating Bangladesh in Multan Cricket Stadium
in Pakistan and Colombo
in Sri Lanka.
The final was held at Gaddafi Stadium
in Lahore
, Pakistan
. Sri Lanka
defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets to win the second Asian Test championship.
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
tournament contested between the Test playing nations of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
: India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
, Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
and Bangladesh
Bangladeshi cricket team
The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status...
. It is not a regular event in the cricketing calendar and has so far been held only twice; in 1998-99
1998-99 Asian Test Championship
The first Asian Test Championship, organized by the Asian Cricket Council was held between 14 February and 17 March 1999. India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka competed in the tournament; Bangladesh could not compete because the ICC had not granted them Test status...
when Pakistan won and in 2001-02
2001-02 Asian Test Championship
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka competed in the second Asian Test Championship between August 2001 and March 2002. India pulled out of the tournament due to political tensions with Pakistan....
with Sri Lanka as champions. It was originally planned that the tournament would be held every two years, alternatively with the Asia Cup
Asia Cup
The ACC Asia Cup is an international men's One Day International cricket tournament. It was established in 1983 when the Asian Cricket Council was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries. It was originally scheduled to be held every two years...
.
The Asian Test Championship is only the second example of a Test cricket tournament involving more than two teams, the first being the 1912 Triangular Tournament
1912 Triangular Tournament
The 1912 Triangular Tournament was a Test cricket competition played between Australia, England and South Africa, the only Test-playing nations at the time....
, which was held between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
, England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
and South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
. This tournament was considered to be the predecessor to the Test Cricket World Cup
ICC Test Championship
The ICC Test Championship is an international competition run by the International Cricket Council in the sport of cricket for the 10 teams that play Test cricket...
that the International Cricket Council was planning for the 9 member nations.
In 2006, the Asian Cricket Council
Asian Cricket Council
The Asian Cricket Council is a cricket organization which was established in 1983, to promote and develop the sport of cricket in Asia. It is the regional administrative body and is sub-ordinate to the International Cricket Council. The Conference became the Asian Cricket Council in 1995 and its...
canceled Asian Test Championship as well as the Asian and African Cup due to the tightly packed international cricket tour schedule. The third installment of the Championship had been delayed by four years due to conflicting tours of the participating members. Moreover, with the arrival of the official ICC Test Championship which has largely served to show a more balanced approach to test ratings, interest in the Asian Test Championship has waned.
1998-1999 Asian Test Championship
IndiaIndian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
, Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
competed in the inaugural Asian Test Championship between February and March 1999. Bangladesh could not compete because the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
had not granted them Test status.
Three round-robin
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
were played by the three competing sides. A win was worth 12 points, a tie 6 points and no points were awarded for a draw or loss. In addition to this, bonus points were awarded to teams for bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
and batting
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
performances.
The venues of the round robin matches were rotated between the three countries, with the final to be held in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
as a neutral venue.
Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
by an innings and 175 runs in the final to become the first Asian Test Champions.
2001-2002 Asian Test Championship
BangladeshBangladeshi cricket team
The Bangladesh national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Bangladesh. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board . Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status...
, Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
competed in the second Asian Test Championship between August 2001 and March 2002. India pulled out of the tournament due to political tensions with Pakistan
2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff
The 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff was a military standoff between India and Pakistan that resulted in the massing of troops on either side of the International Border and along the Line of Control in the region of Kashmir...
.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka both played Bangladesh in the two round robin matches. A win was worth 16 points, a tie 8 points and no points were awarded for a draw or loss. In addition to this, bonus points were awarded to teams for bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
and batting
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
performances. Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified for the final after convincingly beating Bangladesh in Multan Cricket Stadium
Multan Cricket Stadium
Multan Cricket Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. The stadium is located off Vehari Road, in the suburbs of Multan. Having such a lush green outfield and playing area, the stadium is the most beautiful in the country at the moment. It is primarily used for cricket...
in Pakistan and Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
in Sri Lanka.
The final was held at Gaddafi Stadium
Gaddafi Stadium
Gaddafi Stadium is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan who also designed Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. Following the ground's renovation for the 1996 Cricket World...
in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets to win the second Asian Test championship.