Cricket World Cup win ‘is huge chance’ to get more children playing
English cricket’s governing body has been urged to capitalise on the national team’s dramatic World Cup victory to increase the number of children playing the game.
A lack of playing spaces in cities and cricket being confined to satellite TV are among factors previously cited as hampering efforts to attract more youngsters. But, with Sunday’s match having been shown on Channel 4 and making the front pages, the hope is it could inspire them to want to be the next Jonny Bairstow or Jofra Archer.
Johan de Silva, the director of junior cricket at Highgate cricket club in north London, which he said has the country’s biggest All Stars programme – the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB’s) initiative for five to eight-yearolds – said: “There will definitely be a spike in participation. The coverage that’s been given across the UK, the number of people watching, particularly on the telly, hopefully some more people want to take up the game and become a sporting hero.”
Like many at the grassroots level, he is trying to increase participation in a game that has a higher profile in private schools. De Silva said that as a result of those efforts the children at his club, some of whom accompanied England’s players on to the pitch on Sunday, were reasonably diverse, despite the affluent area.
“We do a lot of work within less well-off areas of the borough,” he said “It’s not the cheapest sport to play, it’s difficult but we try to broaden the demographic by getting out there and offering free classes where appropriate. We don’t want money to be an issue.”
He is convinced the ECB will grasp the opportunity presented by the victory “because if they don’t they’re missing a huge opportunity”.
The former England captain David Gower said: “There will be World Cup fever, inevitably. If I am being honest and rational, by the end of the week that might have disappeared. There are an awful lot of people out there giving up time for nothing to foster the game with their own children, other people’s children. Those that love it are doing their best to perpetuate it but we need to get others interested too.”
He described club and school cricket as “struggling” but said he was “hopeful but cautious” Sunday’s victory could
make a difference.
Tim Hollingsworth, the chief executive of Sport England, said history had shown a high-profile victory was not itself enough to increase participation but he believes cricket is well placed to capitalise.
“The critical thing is down the road are there plans that can help drive home activity in the face of interest,” he said. “Street cricket, quick cricket are really important ways to access the game that weren’t there before.”
The ECB said the World Cup had already been a force for good, with 1 million children having “engaged” with the tournament and 10,000 having taster sessions off the back of it. According to its own figures, only 7% of primary school children play cricket but it aims to double that with the help of its All Stars programme and the Chance to Shine charity.
Adam Sofroniou, the communications manager of Chance to Shine, said he had already seen the impact of the World Cup victory at a school in west London on Monday morning. “They were saying: “We want to do a super over,’ ‘I am going to bowl like Jofra,’” he said. “We really hope this has got the potential to bring the game to a whole new group of people.”
Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said: “Hosting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has provided the perfect springboard to launch our plan to grow cricket, Inspiring Generations. This will see us invest more money than ever before in the game – over £770m.”