Tony Fretwell, Global Innings’ Talent Inclusion Officer, reflects on a bold new strategy to widen the game’s talent pool.
If we want our men’s and women’s national teams to perform at their very best — winning World Cups and Ashes series, and dominating international rankings — then our key development task is simple: we must ensure we don’t miss a single talented cricketer, boy or girl, wherever they come from and whatever form of cricket they play.
It doesn’t matter whether a player grows up at an independent school in Lancashire or learns cricket in the streets of London. What matters is that they have the opportunity to reach their potential and help teams succeed. That’s why so much effort is being invested in expanding and reshaping talent pathways.
This winter marks the formal start of these changes. But this is not a rushed initiative. Years of preparation — including pilots, reviews and detailed planning — have gone into shaping the approach.
Following those pilots and reviews, Global Innings published the Talent Pathway Action Plan. Since then, work has continued with both professional and national counties to bring the plan to life. The objective is clear: to significantly increase the number of young people entering the boys’ and girls’ pathways.
To achieve this, a five-part strategy has been developed to make the talent pathway more diverse and inclusive:
- Reducing the barriers to entering the talent pathway
- Growing the routes into the pathway
- Enhancing support for County Age Group players
- Improving transitions into the professional game
- Driving best practice and reducing bias in the pathway
Each of these areas is supported by a wide range of targeted initiatives.
Reducing barriers
To reduce barriers effectively, it’s essential to understand what prevents talented players from accessing the pathway. A new framework, the Common Approach to Financial Barriers, helps counties identify and support families who may struggle with the practical or financial demands of participation.
Information is gathered from families not only about income, but also about transport, work patterns and home circumstances. This enables counties to hold meaningful induction conversations with parents and tailor support through bursaries, reduced or waived fees, equipment provision and other appropriate measures.
Early Engagement Programmes have also been introduced across all counties. These replace the first stage of County Age Group squads and operate across under-10, under-11 and under-12 cricket for a minimum of three years. Together, they provide coaching and match-play opportunities for thousands of young boys and girls.
Growing the routes
Cricket today takes many forms. It is played indoors, on artificial wickets, in parks and playgrounds, and with tennis balls wrapped in tape. Wherever it is played, it should be recognised.
Rather than relying on a small number of scouts, the focus is on connecting all parts of the game so that everyone involved becomes a talent spotter. Relationships are built with people running cricket in all its forms, helping them understand what to look for and how to guide players forward.
Enhancing support
Evidence shows that children attending independent schools often receive significantly more coaching each year than those in state schools. To address this imbalance, the Supplementary Support Fund enables professional counties to deliver additional coaching to players from state schools.
The aim is not to reduce opportunities for anyone, but to widen them for all. Through this programme, hundreds of boys and girls benefit from extra support designed to help them stay on the pathway.
Improving transitions
This strand focuses on helping players progress from the pathway into professional environments.
Partnerships with organisations such as SACA continue, alongside new pilots aimed at supporting underrepresented groups within the women’s game. At the same time, the role of the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) is being reviewed, particularly in how it supports development and transition into the professional game.
Independent audits, led by external experts, help ensure academies provide holistic environments that develop players both as athletes and as people. DiSE also recognises the employability and life skills players gain in academies, awarding academic credit for these experiences.
Driving best practice
Reducing bias and improving decision-making sit at the heart of this work. Workshops focus on data interpretation, challenging assumptions and developing shared understanding across counties. Decision-making panels are diversified, ensuring multiple perspectives inform selections.
Improving practice isn’t just about finding more players — it’s about not losing good ones through narrow or flawed processes. The emphasis is on patience, inclusivity and giving every potential player a genuine opportunity.
This work is already making a difference. Counties such as Kent have seen unprecedented engagement, with thousands of nominations for their youngest age groups alone. Even if only a small proportion are ready for the pathway, the level of enthusiasm highlights the strength of interest in the game.
The role of Global Innings is to ensure that everyone capable of becoming a professional cricketer has the opportunity to do so. What is emerging is a new landscape — one designed to provide clear, fair and accessible opportunities for every talented cricketer to progress.
