The three-nation ``Meril International Cricket Tournament'' involving host nation Bangladesh along with Zimbabwe and fellow World Cup qualifiers Kenya begins in Dhaka tody at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Zimbabwe will take on ICC runners-up Kenya in the opening match at 2 pm (BST). ICC champions and host Bangladesh will meet Kenya tomorrow Saturday.

State-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) will telecast live all the double- leg basis one-day international matches while Bangladesh Betar will broadcast the running commentary.

The two top finishers of the league will play the final on March 27.

Former Indian captain and match referee of the triangular meet Gundappa Viswanath, three match umpires - Javed Akhter (Pakistan), Peter Manuel (Sri Lanka) and VK Ramaswamy (India) - are already in the capital to conduct the matches.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), organisers of the nine-day ODI tournament, has announced the prize money for the tournament. Champions will receive 10,000 US dollars, runners-up 5,000 dollars, man of the match for each league tie 500 dollars and man of the final match 1,000 dollars.