Calcutta: In view of the under-19 World Cup in February 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to hold a four-nation meet in India towards the end of this year. The four Asian countries ? India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ? are expected to take part in the tournament.

The BCCI had sent its proposal to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which in return, has also conveyed its willingness to holding the tournament, it was learnt.

Previously it was planned that India will tour Australia after Australia’s tour of India in September, but India’s tour has been kept on hold for the time being. “The World Cup is scheduled to be held in either Colombo or Kuala Lumpur, and so a tour Down Under will not help the team in preparation prior to the World Cup,” BCCI joint secretary Goutam Das Gupta said on Thursday.

According to Das Gupta, the ACC has requested the Indian board to hold the tournament in India. “We agreed to that but the venue is yet to be decided as we need two enclosed stadiums in a city to hold such an international meet. As of now, the venue is likely to be Mumbai, Visakhapatnam or Hyderabad,” Das Gupta said.

Indications were also there that BCCI might stick to former India mediumpacer Venkatesh Prasad as coach of the side till the World Cup. Das Gupta, however, reserved his comment on the issue.