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TANGIERS, Morocco, Friday, (Reuters) - A triangular tournament about to be played in Morocco may be seen as a simple warm-up by the participating teams - but the event is being taken far more seriously by the host nation.

The North African country will not play in the tournament, seen by organisers as a golden opportunity to promote what is a new game in a country where soccer, tennis and athletics are the main sporting attractions. Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka will take part in the $250,000 tournament from August 12-21 in the northern Moroccan city of Tangiers.

Cricket was introduced in the country less than three years ago and the number of senior cricketers is a mere 240 in eight clubs, half of which are based in the capital Rabat, Moroccan Cricket Federation (FRMC) spokeswoman Fatima Boujoual said.

"Cricket in Morocco is like a new language," said former Indian test all-rounder Mohinder Armanath, who oversees coaching in the FRMC with his brother Surinder and compatriot Narayan Rau Satham.

Mohinder, a member of the Indian side that memorably upset the West Indies in the World Cup final at Lord's in 1983, said his task was demanding but very interesting."India has a cricket history of over 100 years. Here it started two years ago and they had no idea about the game so we started at the grass-roots level but now they know better," he said.

While acknowledging that he would struggle against a long-established soccer history in the country, Mohinder said cricket in Morocco "is like a newly-born baby who is growing".

"The game will grow in the future and people will be more aware of cricket and I hope we will be able to achieve something," he said.

STATUS UPGRADE

"Morocco is now an affiliate member of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and we will bid by the end of this year for associate status," Boujoual told Reuters. Granting associate member status to Morocco would allow it to benefit from the ICC's development programme and funds to help in infrastructure and technical projects, she added.

The tournament will be played in a new state-of-the-art stadium, built by Hercules International Sport Tangiers (HIST), a firm owned by the wealthy Emirati businessman Abdurrahman Bukhatir.

The multi-million dollar, 5,000-seat stadium overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar includes five pitches for matches and another seven in the practice area. The ICC recently approved the venue at which tournaments will be organised by the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), an United Arab Emirates-based group, the FRMC's media and communications manager Nick Jennings said.

"Morocco can become the possible neutral venue for test series matches if the tournament proves a success," he added.

FREE ENTRY

In a bid to attract a high attendance at the tournament, the FRMC will allow free entry.

"We will also organise on a daily basis competitions and raffles for the public," Boujoual said. Jennings said the federation's aim was not so much to fill the stadium as to develop the sport.

"ICC's new ten-year plan aims at introducing the game to new areas," he said. Percy Sonn, vice-president of the African Cricket Association, said earlier this year that Africa was the new zone for cricket. "This historic event is an important milestone in the globalisation of the game and in its growth in Africa in particular," he said of the tournament. Jennings said he hoped the Morocco Cup would meet enough success to be a regular annual event.

"The prize money of the tournament is the sport's second highest after that of the World Cup," he said. The winning team will be awarded $120,000, the second $80,000 and the third $50,000.

Jennings said he believed the game could become a great success in the Morocco. "When I see Moroccans dressed in white playing cricket, following the rules of the sport and in a sporting manner, it's just tremendous. Any cricket fan must only be pleased," he said.

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