Asian Cricket Council to nominate Afghanistan for ICC Associate membership – Cricket News Update
Following a meeting of its development committee, headed by the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Zaka Ashraf, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has decided to nominate Afghanistan for a promotion to Associate membership with the International Cricket
Council.
The decision was taken at the meeting held on Monday in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, with committee members agreeing on the need to push for the promotion of Afghanistan (currently an Affiliate member) to an ICC Associate member nation.
“Perhaps our most significant decision [taken at the meeting] has been to substantiate the claim of Afghanistan to be an Associate member of the ICC,” confirmed ACC chief executive, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashraf-c46397-ul-Haq on Tuesday in Lahore. “Afghanistan has been the strongest
side among the Affiliate members, so we are backing them for the promotion.
“The applications are in order and we are hoping that at the next ICC annual meeting Afghanistan will be given the status they deserve,” he concluded. While the ACC has informed the ICC of their intent to back Afghanistan, the matter will be taken up formally
at the ICC’s annual conference, to be held in June 2013.
Earlier this year in April, the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced an organisational review of its structure in a bid to push for Associate membership, and the funding from the ICC which comes with the promotion.
The review was sanctioned with the intent to provide better leadership for the board, put together a qualified team for the cricket administration in the country, and nurture the growth and progress of the domestic cricket infrastructure. The changes were
made with the purpose of improving the administration in order to meet the standards required by the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625.
In addition to administrative developments, the Afghanistan national team has also been making waves in the international cricket arena, having emerged as one of the most prominent Affiliate member states.
Having played 23 ODIs, out of which they have won 12, the Afghanistan team has earned ODI status which is valid until 2013, in addition to having played their first two one-days against Full Member nations (Pakistan and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746) this year.
The team has also played 13 T20Is, and breezed through this year’s ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, losing only to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, and eventually
exited the 2012 edition of the World T20.
In addition to announcing their support for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745’s promotion, the ACC meeting also focused on approving a US$6.1m budget in order to aid the development of 18 Asian non-Test playing nations, alongside confirming that the four Asian Test-playing nations
(http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747) would aid the less experienced Asian sides, and issue them invitations to their national academies.
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