2016 Asia Cup will be a T20 tournament

Captains pose with the Asia Cup trophy at the 2014 edition of the tournament

In a surprising turn of events, the Asia Cup will be reduced to a T20 tournament in 2016 and will serve as a preparation for the World T20 later in the year, informed Syed Ashraful Haq, the outgoing chief executive of Asian Cricket Council.

"As there is a World Twenty20 tournament in 2016, the Asia Cup next year will also be of Twenty20 Internationals in February or March," Haq told cricket.com.au.

"The host country has not been decided yet," he added.

Explaining that the tournament will try and adapt the format of the upcoming global event in the near future, Haq said: "The year 2020 will again see the tournament in Twenty20 format and there will be another ODI (50-over) Asia Cup in 2022."

Two associates are set to join the 4 Test playing nations - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh through qualifiers. Notably, Afganistan took part in the last edition of the tournament held in Bangladesh where they registered their first win over a Test playing nation by defeating the hosts. 

The news has come out on the back of the ICC's effort to revamp the ACC, reducing the organisation to a two-member one.

"It is correct that Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is being dwindled down to only two employees who will work from Singapore," he said.

"Whatever the development work ACC used to do will now be done by the International Cricket Council. However, the Asia Cup will continue to take place after every two years.

"The Asia Cup events have been slotted in for next eight years in the Future Tours Programme," he concluded.

India and Sri Lanka have five Asia Cup triumphs each while Pakistan have two.

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