ECB unveils new strategic plan 12/04/2010 |
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has launched a new initiative to help get more homegrown cricketers in the national set-up.
ECB chief executive David Collier did not go so far as to criticise the number of South Africa-born players in the England team, with Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen already regular squad members, and Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb beginning to make an impact, particularly in Twenty20.
But he did hint that the issue was a concern for the ECB and suggested that it was down to the policy of non-competitive sport in schools.
Speaking at the launch of the ECB’s new strategic plan, ‘Grounds to Play’, which includes among its aims a commitment to producing 50 England-qualified cricketers under the age of 26 by 2013, Collier said: "You have to act within international and legal regulations. Once people are qualified, we have to accept that is OK. The issue we have got is that we want to make sure that English-qualified players force their way into that side through the system.
"We would love to see a whole host of young English players being the best in the world and pushing themselves forward for selection. That is why we are investing in academies, that is why we are investing in performance-related fee payments, that is why we want under-26 players playing regular county cricket."
The ECB is set to introduce a performance-related aspect to 44 per cent of its annual payments to the counties, which equates to about £700,000, while also investing £3m in the development of 13- to 18-year-olds.
"My personal view is we are paying the price for that period when we went through non-competitive sport in schools," added Collier. "That was eight to 10 years ago, and so it's the generation coming through, because it takes time to correct into the next cycle.
“If you invest in an 8- to 10-year-old today, he's unlikely to come through for another 10 years. But if you don't start now, you never will."
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