DUBAI - The eyes of the cricketing world will be fixed on the UAE from 15th to 28th September as Dubai and Abu Dhabi prepare to host the 2018 Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Asia Cup.

Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is hosting the Asia Cup 2018 on behalf of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and Dubai International Stadium and Zayed Cricket Stadium will be hosting the matches as per the schedule.

In Group A, India, the defending champions, will face Pakistan, while in Group B Sri Lanka will play Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The games will be played over a 50 over format starting from 3.30pm onwards.

The teams will start arriving in the UAE from 10th September. The first game will see Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in front of what is sure to be a full-house at Dubai International Stadium.

Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board, said, "We are proud to host the 2018 Asia Cup in the UAE, which promises to be a thrilling festival of cricket with some of the world’s best players battling it out on the field.

"The game of cricket is hugely popular here in the UAE, and we are sure there will be a fantastic atmosphere in the stands as well as great entertainment on the field throughout the tournament."

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2018.