July 07, 2008	Monday	Rajab 3, 1429

KARACHI, July 6: The new Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Dr Nasim Ashraf has said that his priority is to bridge the gap among the cricket playing countries of Asia in particular, and of the world in general, and there is no place for politics in the game.

”There is no place for politics in sports. The ACC has one main objective and that is to promote the game in Asia in particular and in the rest of the world,” Dr Ashraf, head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said at the press conference held at a local hotel here on Sunday after he was unanimously elected as the ACC president for a term of two years till 2010.

Besides electing Dr Ashraf as president, the 22-member house also elected P. Krisnasamh from Malaysia as vice-president.

The PCB chief said his second priority is to include two more Asian countries in the 2011 World Cup, to be held jointly by all four Test-playing countries of the continent, and to bring one more Asian country on the One-day International cricket map.

Besides UAE, the other countries which have the potential to qualify for the World Cup are Afghanistan, Nepal and Oman, he observed.

The president further said the next Asia Cup would be staged in a non-Test playing country. “The ACC has many associate member countries as candidates for the 2010-Asia Cup, and hopefully one will be selected in the next six months,” he said.

Dr Ashraf, flanked by ACC chief executive Ashraful Haq, said the ACC had a special focus on non Test playing countries.

When asked if he had any plans to prepare international-level coaches and trainers as the continent lacked in those key areas, the president said the National Cricket Academy (NCA) of the PCB was holding Level-III coaching courses for the same purpose.

To a question about the future of the Sharjah cricket centre, the ACC president, diplomatically replied: “Sharjah is also a centre while more stadiums in the UAE at Abu Dhabi and in Dubai Sports City have also emerged”.

He said that since the game of cricket had been included in the next Asian Games-2010 to be held in China, it would give new dimensions to the game.

To a question, he said he would see the prospects of the revival of the Asian Test Championship which could enjoy only one edition. He disclosed that a delegation of the African countries was also here and both the bodies had decided to further strengthen the relations. “The future of Afro-Asia cricket is bright.”

He said a women cricket tournament of 12 Asian countries would be held in Thailand this year and another one for men of the associate members in Iran.

The PCB chief replaced former Sri Lankan Test captain Arjuna Ranatunga as ACC president.