Malaysia to become first Associate Member to host ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup in 2008

Malaysia will become the first Associate Member country to host the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup when it stages the sport's biggest junior tournament in February 2008.

As well as awarding the 2008 event to Malaysia in its meeting in Dubai on 30 April, the ICC Board also handed the right to host the 2010 event to Kenya, the 2012 event to Canada and 2014 to United Arab Emirates.

"We are delighted to be able to spread our top junior cricket event around the emerging cricket world," said ICC President Ehsan Mani.

"The ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup has a rich history of showcasing the stars of the future from West Indies captain Brian Lara in 1988 to India's Piyush Chawla in 2006 and it is very exciting that the next four events will all take place in Associate Member countries."

"Malaysia has a proven track record of staging international cricket events. It successfully staged cricket during the 1998 Commonwealth Games and has previously hosted the ICC Trophy and the ICC World Cup Qualifying Series Division Two.

"Kenya has also hosted an ICC Trophy and has extensive experience of hosting events involving Full Members including the ICC Knock-out in 2000.

"Canada will also be an able host having staged a successful ICC Trophy in 2001 while United Arab Emirates will have three magnificent stadiums in place by 2014 as well as the facilities of the ICC Global Cricket Academy.

"All four members have sufficient grounds and turf pitches and these events will provide impetus for the continued growth of the sport in these four geographically spread countries.

The UAE has also been awarded the right to host the 12-team ICC World Cup Qualifier (formerly ICC Trophy) in 2009. Four years later the same event will be hosted by Scotland.

In between these events, the ICC World Cricket League Division One will bring together the top six Associate Members. This event will be hosted by The Netherlands in 2010 while the host for the 2014 event is still to be confirmed. Among the Members still in the frame to host this event are Ireland and Namibia.

"In total we have six different Associate Members from across four continents hosting significant events over the coming years," added Mr Mani.

"All of these Members have produced hosting submissions that comply with similar strict criteria to that in place for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

"That so many Members have had the commitment and support to satisfy these criteria is testament to the increasing profile of the sport beyond its traditional boundaries."

The decisions taken during the meeting of the ICC Board in Dubai on Sunday are subject to ratification at the ICC's Annual Conference in London in July.