Organizers of this month's tri-nations limited-overs series in Malaysia they hope the one-off tournament will become an annual fixture, while promising plenty of runs from its new cricket ground.
World champion Australia will take on the West Indies in Tuesday's opening match of the tournament, which also includes India and serves as a tuneup for next month's Champions Trophy in India. Each team will play the other twice for a total of six matches, capped by the final on Sept. 24.
Two pitches will be used for the series at Kuala Lumpur's new Kinrara Cricket Oval, both ``hard true surfaces that will give the players the best chance to make runs,'' tournament director Brendan McClements told reporters at the ground Friday.
``It will be a one-day pitch on which batsmen will have the confidence . . . where they can attack,'' the Australian said.
The matches _ all of which will be day-night games played under lights _ will be ``reasonably fast paced . . . and high scoring,'' McClements said.
The tournament is the result of repeated pleas to the International Cricket Council by the Malaysian Cricket Association to allow it to host an international one-day tournament to help promote the game in this soccer-mad country.
The tournament will be keenly watched for the return of India's Sachin Tendulkar, one-day cricket's highest run-scorer. He will be playing his first full match since undergoing surgery on his right shoulder for a cyst and a tear in March.
Although the threat of rain is always present in tropical Malaysia, the downpours here are thunderous and short. Officials said they do not expect major rain disruptions.
