There was a time not so long ago when Australia, like most full member countries, particularly England, scoffed at the prospect of cricket taking root in new territories but that is slowly changing.

12 Papua New Guineans, five Fijians, three Irishmen and one Japanese and a Dutchman have been welcomed into the Australian club cricket scene in 2009/2010.

Well known former players and media identities like Peter Roebuck, Ian Chappell, Geoff Lawson, Richie Benaud, Greg Matthews, Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel, Damien Martyn, Andrew Symonds, Jimmy Maher, Greg Blewett, Adam Gilchrist and Trevor Chappell are supporting associate and affiliate cricket in various ways.

Of course there are still those that are unwilling to accept that cricket is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and that those who do embrace the sport, have the right to test themselves against the best.

Malcolm Conn of the Australian Newspaper is one such critic but his opinions in regard to associate and affiliate cricket come across as being poorly researched or maybe not at all.

One would think that if a scribe chose to write about a subject, he or she could do some proper investigation beforehand. Conn and some of England’s journalists such as Mike Atherton could do better. They could at least find out how the game is growing around the world and the success stories that have come with that.

Notwithstanding, perhaps there are people who just don’t want to be convinced. For them, it is easier not to read how much progress is being made by associate and affiliate nations and the good work that is being done by countless players, coaches, volunteers, administrators, parents, curators and umpires in lands previously not known for their cricketing exploits.

Perhaps also, they have chosen to ignore some outstanding victories by Kenya, Ireland and The Netherlands and the rise of Afghanistan, Uganda, Namibia and Canada in recent years.

And maybe no one has told Conn and Atherton that nearly 500,000 people play cricket outside of the full member countries. These numbers were unthinkable five or 10 years ago.

Negative reporting from the media is not to be underestimated. Countless journos, quite wrongly, blamed the associate countries for the poor 2007 World Cup. According to some, the tournament dragged on for too long because of the six associate qualifiers even though the group stage involving Ireland, Scotland, Bermuda, Netherlands, Canada and Kenya only took 13 days to complete. The rest of the tournament, which was supposed to feature only the full members until it was rudely hijacked by the Irish, lasted 33 days. The mainstream media chose not to report it in this way.

The mud stuck however. The fans and the greedy full members bought the mainstream media version of events and it was decided that the 2011 World Cup would have two less associate participants. It was all their fault of course. How convenient.

And guess what! The 2011 World Cup will still run for 42 days. A dramatic decrease of five. Goodness help the associates if this tournament doesn’t go well, or worse, if the emerging nations beat some of the full members again. We might be heading back to a 12 team World Cup. An oxymoron in itself.

But back to people with an open mind.

Roebuck has been particularly supportive of the associates on ABC Radio and in his Sydney Morning Herald column. He has written glowingly about the progress made in Vanuatu, Afghanistan, Nepal, Uganda, Tanzania, China, Papua New Guinea among others and more recently made a compelling case for Ireland’s inclusion into the test fold. Best of all, he has urged the ICC to assist the emerging countries to an even greater extent in the future.

Gilchrist is a well known supporter of cricket’s globalisation and has made it clear that he wants to see the game at the Olympics.

Bichel is the National Director of Coaching for Cricket PNG. He has brought with him professionalism and a bunch of good mates like Matthews, Blewett, Symonds, Martyn, Kasprowicz and Maher, who have visited PNG and are contributing with coaching and promotional initiatives.

Their work in PNG has been well reported in Australia. The former champion players have given cricket in that country the thumbs-up and that has swayed public opinion significantly.

Lawson is assisting the Irish Under-19 squad as they prepare for the 2010 World Cup in New Zealand. The former Australian fast bowler and Pakistan coach is the Director of Cricket at the University of NSW, where the Irish will be based for a week long camp.

Trevor Chappell recently coached Singapore at the ICC World Cricket League Division 6 tournament and while guiding his side into Division 5, expressed surprise and delight at the high standard of skill displayed by players in the country. His older brother Ian has also shown recent support for the emerging countries in various articles.

And let’s not forget Chappell’s Channel 9 mentor Richie Benaud, who is the Patron for Cricket France.

The annual MCG Boxing Day Test equipment drive has provided tons of bats, balls, gloves, pads and stumps for those in the region who can’t afford what kids in Australia take for granted. Bankstown Cricket Club's donation of a container load of equipment for Uganda was well received also.

The participation of a combined East Asia-Pacific side in the Australian State Country Cricket Championships has also been well received after initial scepticism. The squad, which is made up of a combination of the best and the most promising cricketers in the region, rather than just the best, plays on turf wickets against virtual First Class standard opposition. It’s an invaluable experience.

The State associations like the WACA (Cricket Indonesia and Malaysia Cricket Association), VCA (Japan Cricket Association and Korea Cricket Association), Cricket NSW (Cricket Fiji) and Queensland Cricket (Cricket PNG) are lending their support in official partnerships as well.

So at last the support is coming. Clear and open minded Australians are starting to win the battle. Maybe in the future Conn and his cohorts might start to give the newcomers a fair-go as is the Australian tradition.