LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have joined hands to initiate the ‘Cricket World Cup Schools Programme’ across the country, less than a year before the ICC Cricket World Cup takes place.
The programme was launched at the Home of Cricket, the Lord’s Cricket Ground in the city on Thursday in the presence of former England off-spinner Graeme Swann and women’s cricketer-cum-commentator, Isa Guha who will be the ambassadors of the initiative.
The primary aim of the programme is to boost cricket participation and help drive the long-term growth of the game the country by engaging nearly 1 million school children across 8000 primary schools from the age of 5 to 12 in association with another ICC-backed program launched recently in the country, Chance to Shine.
One key element of the programme is 15000 teachers signing up on an online portal full of lesson ideas that can help them take cricket into the classroom as an educational tool.
The programme builds on the wider ECB framework of supporting the South Asian Action Plan that was also launched earlier this year to encourage diversity in the game by bringing in players from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lankan origin amongst other countries. It will also inculcate the World Cup Small Grants Scheme that will see £1000 ($1300) grants made available for 3000 recreational cricket clubs which will open their doors for special Cricket World Cup events.
The CEO of ECB, Tom Harrison said: “Having the ICC Cricket World Cup played here in England and Wales gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We must turn the excitement of a World Cup on home soil into a guaranteed route to draw more players and volunteers to recreational cricket.
“Cricket can inspire its next generation of fans and players by taking the tournament into clubs, playgrounds and classrooms across England and Wales and we will be working hard together to make the most of this moment.”
The tournament director of the ICC CWC 2019, Steve Elworthy added: “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.”
