LET’S NOT BE TOO KWIK TO EXPECT THIS TO WORK WITHOUT TV...

AS part of its push to attract the next generation of kids to the sport, the ECB has come up with All Stars Cricket, a programme of basic coaching giving “five to eight year olds an opportunity to become a star”.

In exchange for £40, “The curriculum of fun cricket activities and games provides your children with the basic movement skills to begin a lifelong love of our sport and general physical activity.

“For an hour a week over an eight-week period,” says the ECB, “our fully trained and vetted activators deliver gamebased activities that teach basic skills including catching, throwing and hitting moving balls and social skills such as teamwork and communication. All participants will receive an All Stars Cricket branded pack including a bat, ball, shirt, cap, backpack and water bottle.”

Sounds familiar? Actually, whatever did happen to Kwik Cricket?

All such initiatives are to be applauded, of course. But, by and of itself, the risk is that this one will do as much (or as little) to engage the next generation as the last one.

As we’ve all witnessed, scores of kids “catching, throwing and hitting moving balls” on the outfield during a Test match lunch break is all very well. The trick is to keep enough of them interested once the novelty wears off.

Come in, please, terrestrial TV.