The Int'l Cricket Council "hopes cyberspace will help them attract 'tens of thousands' of viewers to a level of the sport which has previously struggled for exposure of any sort," according to Paul Radley of THE NATIONAL.The Dubai-based ruling body "will stream live on its website 16 matches from the remaining three rounds of the World Cup qualifying competition, starting with the glut of games in the UAE this month." Afghanistan's World Cricket League fixtures against Scotland Tuesday and Friday will be broadcast, "as well as the UAE's matches against Ireland later this month." The ICC "hopes the online broadcast will make the game accessible to the thousands of existing fans" in leading non-Test nations such as Afghanistan and Ireland, as well as new viewers. ICC Global Development Manager Tim Anderson said, "Part of our development strategy is to engage new audiences in cricket and we have always had this on our agenda as something we would like to do," said Tim Anderson, the ICC's global development manager" (THE NATIONAL, 3/4).
