By Revata S. Silva
The Asian region has been recognised as the world's most prospective financial region where the game of cricket is concerned. Four Asian countries including Bangladesh, the latest country to receive test status, have the ICC's full membership and the game's popularity in the region is ever increasing.

The Development Committee of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) comprising Thilanga Sumathipala and Duleep Mendis from Sri Lanka and another four delegates from Malaysia, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore mext in Sri Lanka to elaborate on a five year plan to expand and develop cricket in Asia. The Committee will receive 36m US$ as the first year's expenses allocated mainly for cricket and infrastucture development and Duleep Mendis has been appointed as the Chairman of a five member body which aims to make Asia "the strongest cricketing region in the world".

The meticulous five year plan drawn up by the ACC Development Committee at the Jaic Hilton Tower was released to the media yesterday. The amount of expenditure will exceed 80m US$ in the Year 2005 and by that time the committee hopes to develop two more one day international level countries from the Asian region. The committee has divided the 30 Asian countries into four different groups according to the standard of their cricket. Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE have been identified as 'Fast Track countries' as their demographic and popularity factors lie ahead of the other nations concerned. Thailand, Maldives, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman are countries which have the ACC and ICC status at present.

It was also decided to organise ACC Tournaments for every two years from which two countries will be chosen for the Asia Cup to play with the four test playing nations.