Sami-ul-Hasan - ICC

Beyond cricket's traditional boundaries, in ICC's Associate and Affiliate Members, significant numbers of players, coaches, clubs and administrators work tirelessly to develop the game and make it accessible to more people.

In recognition of this fact, the ICC Development Program Annual Awards for 2007 were today launched, marking the efforts being made outside ICC's Full Members to improve overall standards of play and public interest in cricket.

With eligibility limited to the ICC's 91 Associate and Affiliate Members, these Awards - now in their sixth year - illustrate cricket's expanded reach and play an important role in sharing best practice.

The eight categories in the awards are:

Best Overall Cricket Development Program
Best Women's Cricket Initiative
Best Junior Cricket Initiative
Best Cricket Promotion and Marketing Program
Best Spirit of Cricket initiative in partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF
Photo of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
Lifetime Service Award

Matthew Kennedy, ICC Global Development Manager, said: "These awards recognise the achievements of our Members - and their members - who work tirelessly to develop this great game in countries where cricket may be relatively young, but definitely on the move.

"The expansion of the Development Program and the quality of applications generated in these Awards in previous years are an illustration of the establishment of cricket as a global game."

Nominations must first be submitted on a regional basis at which stage five regional winners will be selected in each category. These regional winners will then be judged by an esteemed panel in order for global winners to be decided. Details of the global judging panel will be announced in due course.

Entries close on 14 December 2007, with regional award winners being announced on 31 January 2008. Global award winners will then be announced on 13 March 2008.

This years' Global Winners will all receive a US$2,000 ICC cricket equipment grant.

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