Should international profile be everything, then cricket in Oman could be mistaken for a struggling outpost devoid of quality or quantity.

Outside Oman, little is known of arguably cricket's second strongest Persian Gulf base.

Its premier team, Raha, has won the Middle East's most prestigeous club tournament, Sharjah's Bukhatir League, and numerically fields more teams than many Associate members of the International Cricket Council.

And it boasts more indigenous players than any Middle Eastern country.

For the Oman Cricket Board has made it compulsory that one Omani born player to be included in all teams competing below the top two Divisions, Groups A & B.

Indeed two teams competing in National League consist entirely of Omanis.

Raha, together with Muscat, compete in the country's elite Group A division, playing over the length of the season, which runs from September to May, a series of seven 50 over one-day matches.

The standard of cricket in Group A is regarded highly, with the two teams luring cricketers from the subcontinent with employment based around their cricket commitments.

Oman's second division, Group B, is a 30-over-per-side league comprising Nizwa, RAFO, UES 'A, OMZEST 'A' and RB Kothari clubs.

Around 60 teams compete in the OCB's eight divisions, competing in Super League, Knockout and Inter School tournaments.

However, there are restraints on the growth of the game in Oman - a lack of finance caused by disinterest from the local business community means it is difficult to promote cricket, and tournaments usually go unsponsored.

Its cricketers play on grounds featuring cement pitches, and grassless, stone covered outfields and there are no proper seating arrangements for spectators.

Despite this there is undoubted talent in the capital, Muscat (the only centre where cricket is played) and Omani officials are keen to field a national team.

They nearly had their opportunity when placed as a reserve for cash-strapped Japan by organisers of last November's Asian Cricket Council Trophy.

Associate membership of the ACC will mean further oportunities for the senior national team in future, and will almost certainly make its ACC Trophy debut at its next staging.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd