25 boys and 25 girls from 14 different provinces, the best prospects from the recently concluded Youth National Games in Thailand have gathered in Bangkok for a three-week cricket camp under the supervision of Youth Development Coach Shan Kader. The aim is to create squads for next year’s ACC U-16 event and the U-19 in 2015. “Get the processes right and you get the job done,” says Sri Lanka Cricket Honorary Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga who, as an ACC Executive Board Member was in Kuala Lumpur for three days at the end of April to assess and drive forward the direction of the ACC’s development strategy prior to the composition of the ACC’s Strategic Development Plan for 2014-2018. Afghanistan have been awarded US$422,000 for the development of a National Cricket Academy in Kabul via the ICC’s Targeted Assistance and Performance Programmme (TAPP). Afghanistan is the seventh country to benefit from the fund of US$12 million, which was created by the ICC in January 2012. Arab boys are being introduced to cricket in the latest development drive of the Saudi Cricket Centre. A five-week program in Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia has just been completed, with two primary schools the beneficiaries. Newly appointed ACC Development Officer Venkatapathi Raju has been in Bangkok working with the U-19s ahead of the upcoming ACC U-19 Elite Cup. Raju has replaced Venkatesh Prasad and will be looking after Thailand, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE along with some High Performance programs for the ACC. Along with the U-19 boys, Raju was working with the national women’s team in preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers in Ireland later this year. It is with great pride that the Afghanistan Cricket Board have announced the construction of a new stadium in Nangarhar, the second to be in the province. On completion next year, Afghanistan will have three fully-turfed international size grounds. “It’s a great boost to their cricket, we are all delighted with this news,” says ACC Development Officer Iqbal Sikander. In what is the most open ACC Twenty20 Cup yet, the fourth, and the second to be played in Nepal, two teams will go through to the ICC WorldTwenty20 Qualifier in November. Three-times winners Afghanistan have pre-qualified as an ODI nation and UAE are also through as hosts of the November qualifier. Which leaves two places up for grabs. Maha Sarakham, which literally means “City of Great Education” in Thai, is hosting the country’s current Youth National Games. It is the third time cricket has featured in the event and demonstrates the further embedding of cricket into the sporting curriculum of Thailand. Following their passage up north, Iran’s coaches Mahmood Rashid and Mozhdeh Bavenpour have been extending their tour to the west of Iran. Three new cities, Karaj, Sanandaj and Khoram Abad in the provinces of Alborz, Kurdistan and Lorestan have been introduced to cricket. Bhutan has been one of the unheralded successes of the global cricket development program. On the field they’ve risen from ACC Challenge to ACC Elite (ie second division to first) at all levels at various times, and even when they’ve been knocked back they keep coming back. In order to fulfil their potential the Bhutan Cricket Council Board has embarked upon a serious plan for development, one that makes use of every asset they have.