Asia's Cricket Council (ACC) chief is optimistic that increasing investment to develop the sport in China will pay dividends in the near future.

 

"We have made big investment including money and technical support in developing cricket in China," ACC chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq told China Daily in Beijing during his visit to last week's national men's cricket championship.

 

"I am confident the investment will get paid.

 

"It is not a bad investment. It is not like going to the stock exchange and buying shares. It is a safe investment."

 

The Chinese Cricket Association (CCA), which joined the ACC after the former was established in 2004, has been developing the sport in China in recent years by laying a foundation of professionally trained players, coaches and umpires.

 

Huq believes China will play a pivotal role in making cricket a truly global sport.

 

"We have trained hundreds of local coaches here," he said.

 

"I am hopeful China will play well because if China plays well, then the whole value of the sport will go up over the world.

 

"Only when major countries like China play the sport, at that time we can say the sport is a truly global sport."

 

"We have more than 100 countries playing in the world, but China makes the most differences."

 

As the boss of the sport's governing body in Asia, Huq is especially pleased the sport will debut at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, where he hopes it will give Chinese cricket the spur it needs.

 

"It will have different impact now," Huq said.

 

"I came to Beijing two days ago and had meetings with chief of Chinese Cricket Association.

 

"This is the first meeting with chief official in China and I am glad to see they are more interested in advancing the sport than I expected."

 

CCA chief official Liu Rongyao said the national body was fully committed to development programs.

 

"It is such a good chance," he said.

 

"Cricket is more and more popular in China's schools.

 

"After support from international organizations and our own efforts, we will have more people get involved and will set up national teams for assembled trainings."

 

Huq even claimed cricket would be the most popular sport at the Guangzhou Games when teams representing the most populous nations face off.

 

"Eventually the cricket will become the biggest game in Asian Games - the No 1, because it is seen by the most and it is followed by the most," he said.

 

"Also China will play the cricket as the host. They will send their men's and women's teams and show people what the sport is."

 

Huq revealed his long-term aim beyond the Asian Games was to put the sport on the Olympic roster.

 

"China's standing as the world's leading sporting nation can play a major role in influencing future Olympic rosters.

 

"China is soon expected to overtake the United States as the top Olympic nation, if not at the 2008 Beijing Olympics then possibly London.

 

"As such they would have a lot of say in what sports are in the Olympics.

 

"That's why it is important that cricket is developed in China.

 

"I don't know if cricket can make it into the London Olympics in 2012, where it could have demonstration status, but maybe the one after that."

 

Impressive improvement

 

Huq, who has visited China twice each year since his first visit in 2002, is impressed by the sport's progress among young people and believes China will jump to a mid-level standard in Asia within two years.

 

"I saw the same boys playing last year and what they are playing now is very very different.

 

"In about two years time, they will come up to a level of, say, if not India, Pakistan, maybe other countries like Malaysia and Singapore.

 

"And by 2010, who knows (what will happen for the China's cricket). In three years, they might do something amazing.

 

"This kind of improvement is not taking place anywhere in Asia. This is because Chinese people are disciplined. When they get their mind on something, they will make it."

 

Supporting Huq's claims, the national women's cricket team finished a surprising third at last month's Asian Championships, just two years after the women's players picked up a bat and ball.

 

According to ACC's plan, China's women's team will go to India for training and competition next year.

 

The men's team, which was selected after the national championships last week, will compete at the U-15 and U-19 Asian Championships later this year.

 

Next year they will play at senior level.

 

Former Pakistan international Rashid Khan is currently coaching China's men's and women's cricket teams.

 

The CCA aims to have 15,000 cricketers by 2009, with a proportional number of umpires and coaches, and 60,000 by 2012.

 

By 2020, following the establishment of a national league, international club matches and a national school and inter-city competition, the association expects cricket to be played actively by 150,000 people.

 

(China Daily August 24, 2007)