Image Credit- ECB
After a new impact study aiming at “demonstrating
the positive influence of the game” was released, CEO Richard Gould stated
that the ECB needs to “challenge the definition of a cricket club” in
order to fully realise the potential of the sport.
Using data from the ECB themselves, the Impact of
Cricket Report was created in collaboration with The Sports Consultancy to
evaluate the game at all levels in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The survey
specifically focused on how much cricket enhances the lives of players and
fosters community connections, with 83% of players reporting that it had
improved their understanding of individuals from other backgrounds.
According to the report, 1.1 million kids participated
in organised play, partner programmes, or ECB initiatives in cricket last year.
Meanwhile, the women’s game continued to grow quickly, with 717 new teams for
girls and women formed in 2023—a 20% rise from 2022.
“The Impact of Cricket demonstrates the power of
our sport and the positive effect it can have on the lives of players, fans or
volunteers – and on the communities where it is played,” Gould said.
“Our ambition is to make cricket the most
inclusive sport in England and Wales. While we know we have much more work to
do, this report shows that cricket is delivering significant benefits today and
that we have solid foundations on which to deliver lasting change, to more
people, in future.”
“The definition of a club needs challenging and
we are going to challenge that now,” Gould said.
“You don’t have to have a piece of grass and a
pavilion, you can just have a collection of friends that meet in one of these
sports halls once a week and you play cricket.
“It is a very different landscape and I think it
is a very exciting landscape because it just makes it much easier to play
cricket.”