The ACC has completed its second Level III coaching program, this time in Sri Lanka following the inaugural one in Bangladesh in October 2009. Twenty five aspiring national coaches from 17 ACC member countries took part in the event. It’s not easy getting things done in Myanmar. Getting things in is difficult and once they’re in, using them is problematic. Nevertheless, Myanmar’s first cricket ground is up and running. And being used for football too. Problematically. Nevertheless, they’ve achieved a lot even with all their inefficiencies and if it were not for certain things could achieve even more for the country. It’s been a tough year at the races for Singapore, in fact they haven’t even been at them. Absence from tough flight ACC competition because of demotion from the Senior and U-19 Elite Levels has meant they’ve missed out on chances to qualify for this year’s ICC U/19 and Twenty20 World Cups. This from a country that at the end of 2008 were at the top of the ACC rankings. In what will be the busiest year yet for Maldives cricket, 11 domestic tournaments will be played, along with two ACC tournaments and an expected appearance in Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 8. “They’re climbing the ladder no doubt,” says ACC Development Officer for Maldives Rumesh Ratnayake, “and also doing enough to ensure they don’t fall back after some years of steady growth.” The 11th Asia Cup, to be held in Bangladesh from March 12 to 22 in 2012 has been formally announced in Dhaka. ACC and BCB President AHM Mustafa Kamal along with BCB CEO Manzur Ahmed and BCB Director Mohammad Jalal Yunus joined ACC Chief Executive Syed Ashraful Huq on the podium to launch the event. 100 members of the print and electronic media were on hand to receive the news. In what will be a busy year for the elite teams among ACC members, two new tournaments have been added to the regular schedule. The new events, the ACC U-19 Asia Cup and ACC Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup, join the Asia Cup and ACC Trophy and ACC U-16 events to make a total of nine for the year. The Cricket Board of Maldives will be giving performance-related cash bonuses to its national team players from now on. Under the CBM Bonus Scheme there are rewards for 50s, 100s. 5-fors and team wins. “The Bonus Scheme has been instituted to reward excellence by players and to inspire the team to do well while on national duty,” says the CBM.