Speak to anyone who knows anything about cricket in Malaysia and they’ll say, “Malaysia has the best facilities amongst the non-Test countries of Asia.” Its abilities to organise and deliver a top-class international tournament were demonstrated by the 2006 DLF Tri-Series between Australia, India and the West Indies in September 2006 and the 16-nation ICC U/19 World Cup in 2008. The ACC has found Malaysia an accommodating host for numerous tournaments.

Its ability to deliver on the promise of being an ODI nation well, they’re still far away. Notwithstanding the considerable commercial and administrative acumen that is evident among many of those connected with cricket in Malaysia, cricket has not received its due reward in the national consciousness. Much of that is due of course, to the core national consciousness not being geared to cricket or indeed participatory sport.

Malaysia has produced one outstanding cricketer in recent years, their former captain Suresh Navaratnam, an all-rounder who impressed the visiting Australians mightily in his net sessions with them during the DLF series. And to create the next generation, using the revenue from the Tri-Series and U/19 World Cup, a far-reaching development program has been established to harness talent across peninsular and eastern Malaysia.

Signs of a revival in national fortunes were evident in 2008 with two players being chosen as Players of the Tournament in the 2008 ACC Trophy Elite, batsman Suhan Kumar and bowler Dinesh Muthuraman. The women impressed too, reaching the Final of the ACC U-19 Women’s Championship.

A period of internal retrenchment and reform is underway as practical and efficient steps to truly develop the game in Malaysia from the bottom up; with as wide a base as possible, rather than the top down, is being taken.