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The Generation Game - how the ECB hopes to engage a new wave of young cricketers during the ICC World Cup 2019 year.

November 23rd, 2018Cricket
As well as a feast for the global crickets enthusiast's hunger, the ICC World Cup 2019 to be held in England and Wales next year, is a rare opportunity to breathe new life and attract fresh legs in order to future-proof the game.
The ICC in conjunction with their partners the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have launched a bold new plan and initiative to help promote the game throughout the UK and to create a meaningful legacy of growth off the back of the biggest tournament in world cricket.
The hugely ambitious project aims to inspire and engage up to one million young people between the ages of five and twelve over the next year. The central vehicle for this target is called the Cricket World Cup Schools Programme and will work in collaboration with the existing ‘Chance to Shine’ project to engage more than 700,000 kids across England and Wales.
A bevy of cricketing stars came out to support the launch event which was held at the home of cricket, Lords Cricket Ground, which will play host the World Cup final match to be played on the 14th July, 2019. Pupils at St Edwards Primary School were lucky enough to be attending the launch school and spent the day with the likes of:-
David Willey Yorkshire & England allrounder and former England offspin supremo Graeme Swann, along with England’s former Women’s world cup winning fast bowler Isa Guha and Heather Knight, current captain of England Women.
Part of the day was spent in a classroom session where cricket was used as an educational aid to help teachers and students get across a range of learning opportunities. The World Cup Schools Programme has created a web based portal jam packed full of lesson ideas and plans to help bring cricket into the classroom.
Steve Elworthy, managing director of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, emphasised the significance of this chance to swell the ranks of junior cricketers:
"The ICC Cricket World Cup arrives back to England and Wales for the first time in 20 years and now is the time to seize this priceless opportunity and use the tournament as a platform for growth to create a new generation of fans and players.
"Through our dedicated Schools Programme, we are excited to take cricket into the classrooms across England and Wales as well as giving young people the unique chance to be part of sporting history. I know how important education through sport can be and we want to encourage as many schools as possible to be part of the programme and provide this unique opportunity to their pupils."
The project launched this year dovetails closely with the work already being carried out by the ECB such as their Cricket Unleashed and South Asian Action Plan programmes which are all designed to create growth with in the game both in terms of players and audiences. All of this work has four main themes running in the background:
They aim to create stronger, diverse, family-friendly clubs: A World Cup Small Grants Scheme will see £1,000 grants made available for 3,000 recreational cricket clubs and 3,000 clubs will throw open their doors for special Cricket World Cup events
The hope is to expand the reach, relevance and scale of cricket within 8,000 Primary Schools: A World Cup Schools Programme - developed in conjunction with Chance to Shine - to bring cricket to the playground and classroom. It will engage up to 15,000 teachers through the Cricket World Cup teachers' portal and offer World Cup Kwik Cricket competitions in schools.
There will also be an expansion of the accessibility of All Stars Cricket: The ECB's flagship entry-level scheme for 5-8-year-olds will benefit from a ICC Cricket World Cup take-over to further extend the reach of the programme. This will be coupled with a commitment to drive the growth of All Stars Cricket in inner-city areas in conjunction with the South Asian Action Plan.
And ultimately the aim is to attract New Fans: Engaging families in cricket through the ICC Cricket World Cup by tailored marketing, in-stadium experiences and out-of-venue activities.
With such an ambitious, youth orientated engagement project running in the wake of the World Cup it’s hoped that a bounce effect can bring the next generation of cricketers into the fold and create a framework that breeds talent and enthusiasm for the game throughout the country.
Tracey Crouch MP, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, commented:
"Cricket World Cup 2019 will be the biggest cricket tournament to date; showcasing the best of England and Wales on the global stage.
"By attracting thousands of visitors to our shores and inspiring the next generation of cricket superstars to pick up a bat and ball, I am confident we will have a cricket legacy for the nation to be proud of."
Expat Sport’s longstanding ICC partnership, already enabling schools academy experiences in Dubai, aligns the organisation 100 percent behind this splendid globally faceted initiative. Designed to enrich the future of cricket by encouraging a new gender-neutral generation of talent into the game at all levels.