Nairobi, June 12:

Kenya will host the third and final Afro-Asia Cup series in June 2008, local cricket officials said on Tuesday.

The country was picked to stage the tournament during the just-concluded second edition of the Afro-Asia Cup in India. “We are honoured and privileged to host the third and last edition in the first and second week of June 2008,” Cricket Kenya chairman Samir Inamdar said.

It will be the second time that the tournament, which brings together the top cricket players from Africa and Asia will be staged in Africa. South Africa hosted the first edition in 2005.

Inamdar said the June 2008 dates had been selected to to avoid a repeat of the previous two tournaments when some star players from Africa and Asia were forced to pull out from their respective teams due to national committments.

The second edition, won 3-0 by Asia, was marred by the absence of India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and South Africa’s Graeme Smith.