Dhaka: From now on, the ICC will grant ODI status to all the matches of multi-team one-day tournaments, including this month’s Asia Cup Cricket to be held in the UAE, as they include teams with and without international status amid a wider review of the application of status in one-day cricket.

The decision will also extend to the World Cup Qualifiers in the future.

The ensuing Asia Cup will be held in the new format where six participating teams will initially compete in two groups and later two top teams from each of the groups will play in the super four stage.

The six-nation Asia Cup will begin in the UAE city of Dubai on September 15 with two times finalists Bangladesh playing Sri Lanka in the opening match.

Bangladesh which were placed in three-team Group B will meet Afghanistan on September 20 in Abu Dhabi in day-night match with a sweet memory of series win against hosts West Indies.

India, Pakistan and Hong Kong were placed in Group A.

Hong Kong, which do not have the ODI status, booked their place in the six-nation ensuing Asia Cup by beating the UAE in the final of the qualifying round to raise the potential of some matches in the event being ODIs and others not.

Hong Kong are the only team among the six participating teams without an ODI status.

There was significant criticism when not all matches at the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe earlier this year were handed ODI status. That led to a confusing mix of classifications for fixtures during the event and included the scenario where the Netherlands, who joined the 16-team ODI rankings after the tournament, were not playing ODIs in the qualifiers.

Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive, also confirmed a review of ODI status is being undertaken with an outcome expected in the next few months. Earlier this year, all T20 matches between member countries across the men’s and women’s game were awarded T20I status.

‘This decision was informed by our review of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier earlier this year where there was a mix of games with and without international status which proved to be confusing for fans,’ Richardson said.

‘In order to simplify the situation, we’ll extend the ICC Cricket World Cup principle of all matches being ODIs to other tournaments where a number of the teams have ODI status and some not, this includes the Asia Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers,’ he said.

‘The fact that these events are open to teams beyond the existing 16 teams that currently have ODI status is important and, accordingly, ensuring all matches are granted ODI status is befitting of the events and just reward for the teams that have qualified, the ICC chief executive said.

‘Of course all T20 matches between ICC Members now have T20I status and we are in the midst of reviewing the whole issue of ODI status, which review should be completed in the next few months,’ he added.