Trinidad and Tobago will host Bangladesh and Afghanistan at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain next month in a four-team international Twenty20 tournament set up as part of the national team's build-up for the Champions League T20.

The three-day tournament--which also includes Barbados and is billed as "Asia vs the Caribbean"--is the last competitive outing for Bangladesh and Afghanistan before they leave for Sri Lanka for the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup.

The Bangladesh side includes top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, as well as hard-hitting batsman Tamim Iqbal, and they will be using the four-team tournament as their final preparation for the T20 World Cup.

The tournament, which takes place from September 6-8 with two matches per day, was launched at the Oval yesterday with All Sport Promotions marketing director Anthony Harford announcing a winner's purse of US$50,000.

Harford said the cost of hosting the tournament was $3.4 million, with the Ministry of Tourism paying the airfare of the teams, which amounts to approximately $1.3 million.

He also noted that the three-day tournament was approved by the ICC and the West Indies Cricket Board.

In addition to playing three matches in the tournament, Bangladesh will also be taking on a Tobago House of Assembly XI in a warm-up match at Shaw Park, Tobago on September 5.

First vice-president of the T&T Cricket Board Dudnath Ramkessoon said the tournament will be a critical part of the national team's Champions League preparations.

"I must commend All Sport for putting together a tournament of this magnitude. The level of competition and the calibre of players in the tournament will serve the T&T team well and matches like these will strengthen the T&T T20 brand," Ramkessoon said.

Ramkessoon promised that T&T would field their strongest team but insisted that a WICB camp ahead of the T20 World Cup from August 29 to September 8 could mean that some of T&T's front-line players could miss the tournament.

T&T have eight players in the West Indies provisional 30-man squad--Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin and Samuel Badree.

Harford said he will be trying to get the WICB to release the T&T players from the camp to take part in the tournament.

Tickets cost $100 per day and go on sale today at Ramsingh's Sports World, in Couva and Chaguanas, and at all Kenny's Sports Centre locations.

There will also be season tickets on sale for all three days at a cost of $250.

The matches will be broadcast live in Bangladesh and across the Caribbean.

Bangladesh arrive in T&T on September 2, while Afghanistan arrive on September 3 and Barbados the day after.

Asia vs the Caribbean Tournament Fixtures (All matches take place at Queen's Park Oval) September 6 Barbados vs Bangladesh, 3:45 p.m. T&T vs Afghanistan, 7:15 p.m. September 7 Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 3:45 p.m. T&T vs Barbados, 7:15 p.m. September 8 Barbados vs Afghanistan, 3:45 p.m. T&T vs Bangladesh, 7:15 p.m.