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“T20 has brought more people into this sport and I must say that this is the best format for Oman to make more progress in”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have been impressed by the development and progress of cricket in Oman after a two-day inspection of the country’s facilities.

ICC global development manager Tim Anderson revealed that Oman’s application for Associate status will be one of the top issues during the ICC’s Annual General Meeting in Melbourne in June.

“This (inspection) has been a terrific experience for us. We not only had an opportunity to analyse the growth but we also got a chance to witness the progress that this country is making,” Anderson told Times of Oman. “Overall, we are very impressed with everything that is happening at the moment.

“The Annual General Meeting in Melbourne in June will be crucial. They will decide about Oman’s status, based on our report. I don’t want to disclose anything but as I said, Oman is doing a tremendous job and the inspection was very positive.

“That ground (Al Amerat) is just marvelous. I think they did a terrific job but they can have two or three grounds more with an indoor centre for cricket and I think that will create a major foundation for cricket here.”

Anderson added that Oman, who applied for Associate status last year, should aim to enhance their reputation by qualifying for the World Twenty20.

“There are lots of opportunities for our members to qualify and I am really excited about how it is going to turn out in Bangladesh this month,” he said. “Today, T20 has brought more people into this sport and I must say that this is the best format for Oman to make more progress in.”