Strengthening Big Bash, women's cricket at core of CA's new five-year strategy

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia Thursday launched its new five-year strategy, at the centre of which is growing the Big Bash League competitions and strengthening the women's game.

The new plan, which according to CA's official website "seeks to be the most inclusive yet in Australian sport and encompasses the game as a whole – including all eight state and territory associations as well as the governing body – will set the direction for the game through until 2022". 

The ICC World T20 tournament hosted in Australia in three years' time is also central to planning, with the event to be used as a springboard to grow the game's popularity. 

More than 8000 people involved in cricket, from CA's CEO to country volunteers and players at all levels, have been involved in a consultation process that ran for more than a year. 

"In particular, we will be placing the emphasis on making cricket the leading sport for women and girls, and delivering the best participation experiences to grow junior cricket," CA chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement. Other key strategic themes include: growing the men's and women's BBL; improving the High Performance system for elite players; improving technology to deliver better experiences for fans, participants and volunteers; and maximising long-term sustainable revenue to drive investment in the game.

Sutherland said the other key strategic themes were to give fans what they want and grow the Big Bash; deliver the best High Performance system for players; promote cricket to inspire everyone’s love for the game; use technology to deliver great experiences for fans, participants and volunteers; and maximise long-term sustainable revenue to drive investment in the game.

"We do not underestimate the challenges that are inherent in those strategic themes," Sutherland said. "Our recent facilities audit – the first complete survey by any sport of all its facilities around the country – found that just 20 per cent have changing rooms that are suitable for women and girls. 

"It also told us that too many cricket clubs do not have enough practice facilities, and that many new communities in our major cities have no sporting facilities at all. 

"It is hard for any sport to look for growth if the basics aren't right, and this strategy shows that cricket is determined to act as one in meeting that challenge." 

"In planning our next five years, we have been very conscious of the proud history of the game in this country," Sutherland said. "History, though, does not guarantee continued success, and cricket has effectively used five-year strategies to ensure that we have a clear understanding of the challenges, and our ongoing responsibility to the future of the game."

Sutherland concluded: “We don’t do this for our own sake – all of us believe that Australia will be healthier and stronger if sport, and particularly a wonderful team game like cricket, is at the heart of its communities.”