Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a £35m investment in grassroots cricket, to try and increase access to the sport.
Cricket has drawn criticism in recent years after it was revealed that most of the current England squads attended a private school.
On the eve of the start of the men’s domestic cricket season, Sunak announced the new investment, which forms part of the Government’s plan to get one million more young people physically active by 2030.
The investment was announced to be delivered over the next five years, during which time England and Wales will host the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the men’s edition of the tournament in 2030.
The most significant part of the plan would see 16 all-weather cricket domes constructed in host cities of the 2026 tournament across England, following the first one which was built in Bradford. The domes allow for all-weather training, and the aim is for them to be built within diverse communities.
The funds include £14m which will go to three charities, Chance to Shine, Lord’s Taverners and ACE, who work with children from African or Caribbean backgrounds. The investment is intended to deliver 2,500 pieces of equipment to schools involved and facilitate 930,000 children playing cricket over the next five years.
Sunak said: “I first experienced the magic of cricket watching Hampshire play at my local ground in Southampton as a child.
“There remains huge potential to grow the sport even further and open it up to everyone, from all backgrounds and in all parts of the country.”
Chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Richard Thompson said: “It’s our ambition that cricket becomes the most inclusive sport in the country and that starts by giving children the chance to play from an early age and from whatever background or community they come from.
“Cricket is a diverse sport and our game has a unique reach across the UK’s population. Hosting both a women’s and a men’s Cricket World Cup between 2026 and 2030, and the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics for the first time in almost 130 years, gives us a platform to reach more young people than ever before and we’re really excited about that as a game.”
England’s highest-ever Test wicket-taker James Anderson said: “I know from first-hand experience that accessing cricket from a state school is not always the easiest route into the game, so it’s fantastic to hear that today’s announcement will support state school students.”
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