ECB discusses plans to grow cricket with the DCMS Select Committee

The ECB was today pleased to have the opportunity to discuss our plans to grow cricket with the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee (DCMS).

Being the current Men’s and Women’s ICC World Cup Champions in the world’s second-biggest sport takes strong focus and long-term planning. The result of this dedication was illustrated through a memorable summer for the sport which has deepened the nation’s passion for the game.

The sport has seen record attendance in our grounds of 3.15 million visits; over 1.2 million children connected with cricket; and over 500,000 playing cricket in schools, with 45% of teachers now more interested in playing or facilitating cricket with their pupils.

Cricket has never had a greater opportunity, with a generation inspired by our elite teams’ exploits and funding secured through record-breaking media rights sales. We look forward to using this as a springboard for growth. The next phase of our plans is to convert a nation’s passion and awareness for cricket into meaningful participation.

Our strategy to grow the game over the next five years, Inspiring Generations, will see us invest more money than ever before in the game and includes plans to double participation in primary schools, transform the women’s and girls’ game and continue to engage diverse audiences through our South Asian Action Plan.

It also includes the launch of our new 100-ball competition, The Hundred, which is a key part of our wider plans to grow the game and inspire future players and fans. This, along with the rest of the strategy, was developed in collaboration and consultation with the whole game.

We are grateful for the opportunity to explain these plans to the DCMS Select Committee and were pleased to hear organisations like Chance to Shine and Platform share their passion for the future of cricket, as well as highlight the opportunities that lie ahead for the ECB and its stakeholders. 

We look forward to continuing our conversations with the DCMS Select Committee on areas where we could work more closely together.