Holland to host three-way shootout

The overloaded one-day calendar just became even fuller, with news that three of the game's key superpowers - Australia, India and Pakistan - will stop off in the Netherlands on their way to this year's Champions Trophy in England.

Each side will play each other once with the top two sides going through to a final. The tournament will reportedly run from August 22-29, coinciding with the Athens Olympics.

In 25 years of tri-nation one-day tournaments it will be only the second time these three countries have faced off in a triangular tournament. In their previous three-way encounter, the Carlton & United Series of 1999-2000, Australia won nine straight matches.

It will be the first multi-nation series to take place in the Netherlands, who staged one World Cup game in 1999.

A Cricket Australia spokesman could not confirm the dates but said the Australians are scheduled to arrive in Holland on August 20. The 12-nation Champions Trophy begins on September 10.

The Australians have already played 17 one-day internationals this year, more than India (15) and Pakistan (10). The new, as yet unnamed, tournament means they are so far scheduled to play a possible 28 ODIs in 2004 - down from 35 last year and their 1999 peak of 37. But it's only May.