Asian cricket chiefs have formally backed war-tornAfghanistan for associate membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC)to reward their rapid progress in the sport, an official said.
The support for Afghanistan's elevation to the second tierof ICC membership, one rung below Test level, comes after their players many of whom learned the game in refugeecamps took part in their second WorldTwenty20 this month. Associate membership, for countries "where cricket isfirmly established and organised", would be a huge step forward forAfghanistan after they won affiliate membership in 2001 and earned the right toplay one-day internationals in 2009.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief executive Ashraful Haqannounced the move to back Afghanistan after a meeting of its development committeein Islamabad this week. "Afghanistan has been the strongest side among theaffiliate members of the ICC, so we are backing them for promotion and we hopethat they will live up to that promotion," Haq said.
Afghanistan will now apply for associate membership andtheir bid will be decided next June, at the annual ICC talks. The world bodycurrently has 10 full members, 36 associates and 60 affiliate members. Haq said the ACC was also impressed with thedevelopment of China, and hoped the country would be playing "high-levelcricket" within a decade.
"I'm hoping in the next 10 years they will startplaying a high level of cricket. I am not sure if they will be a Test nation bythen, but surely they are somewhere near playing top-level cricket." Headded: "Cricket is getting popular among Asian countries and we would beprocessing the applications of Tajikistan, Chinese Taipei and Cambodia in thenear future. The development of Oman is high on the agenda of the ACC. "Wewant cricket to be played everywhere. The ACC are here for the minnows, and areworking to promote them. While Afghanistan have reached such heights, Oman willbe next in line, as they have got all the facilities there."
