Asia's Cricket Council (ACC) chief is optimistic that increasing investment to develop the sport in China will pay dividends in the near future.

"We have made big investment including money and technical support in developing cricket in China," ACC chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq told China Daily in Beijing during his visit to last week's national men's cricket championship.

"I am confident the investment will get paid."

"It is not a bad investment. It is not like going to the stock exchange and buying shares. It is a safe investment."

The Chinese Cricket Association (CCA), which joined the ACC after the former was established in 2004, has been developing the sport in China in recent years by laying a foundation of professionally trained players, coaches and umpires.

Huq believes China will play a pivotal role in making cricket a truly global sport.

"We have trained hundreds of local coaches here," he said.

"I am hopeful China will play well because if China plays well, then the whole value of the sport will go up over the world."

"Only when major countries like China play the sport, at that time we can say the sport is a truly global sport."

"We have more than 100 countries playing in the world, but China makes the most differences."

As the boss of the sport's governing body in Asia, Huq is especially pleased the sport will debut at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, where he hopes it will give Chinese cricket the spur it needs.

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