ACC to approve Asian development programme

The Asian Cricket Council's special general meeting on April 15 in Sharjah is likely to approve the development programme for Asia.

The meeting, which was originally scheduled for April 19 was brought forward on the request of Bangladesh Cricket Board President Sabir Chowdhry, sources in ACC disclosed Saturday.

Besides approving the development plan, which will be the primary aim, the ACC will also decide the structure to implement the programme. The International Cricket Council's development programme for Asia, which expires on March 31, has failed to meet its targets, sources pointed out.

The ACC had expressed reservations about the programme and even ICC's Andrew Eade admitted it had been unable to achieve the targets.

The April meeting, to be attended by representatives of 17 member countries, including the big three - Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka - will also focus on getting one-day International status for at least two countries over the next four years.

The UAE and Hong Kong, by virtue of being the ACC Trophy finalists in Sharjah last October/November are the front-runners. Meanwhile, a question mark still hangs over India's participation in next week's Advanced Umpiring Seminar being organised by the ACC in collaboration with ICC in Islamabad.

ACC sources said that despite repeated reminders, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had, till Saturday evening not nominated an umpire for the week-long seminar opening on Monday.

Earlier, the BCCI had told the seminar organisers that an umpire would be named by Thursday.

They had also agreed to send V.K. Ramaswamy as an instructor to conduct the seminar along with Peter Manuel of Sri Lanka. Ramaswamy was named to replace Venkatraghwan who had been appointed earlier. However, with just one day to go, the organisers are now not quite hopeful of India's participation.

Prof. Said Shah, has already been put on stand-by in case Ramaswamy does not turn up. It is not the first time that India have played spoilsport. The head of the BCCI, A.C. Muttiah, after repeatedly confirming to attend an Asian Cricket Foundation meeting in Lahore early last month, never showed up.

With a cloud of uncertainty over India, other umpires meanwhile have begun to arrive in Islamabad.

Malaysia's Bhupinder Singh Gill was the first foreigner to land in the capital.

Pakistan's Mahboob Shah, the seminar coordinator has also arrived.