The England and Wales Cricket Board will invest £2million in programmes designed to encourage diversity.
After a report found that discrimination was widespread throughout the sport in English and Welsh cricket the ECB is hoping to address the issues with this investment being one of those responses. Five charities - the African Caribbean Engagement Programme (ACE), the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA), the MCC Foundation, Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners will each receive funding.
The MCC Foundation, ACE and SACA focus on providing talent pathways for state school, black and British South Asian cricketers, who are under-represented in the game. Chance to Shine and Lord's Taverners also aim to provide more opportunities to state school pupils, with a focus on children from underserved communities, students with special education needs and those who qualify for free school meals.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said “If we are to realise our ambition of making cricket the most inclusive sport, we have to break down barriers which have stopped children and young people from state schools and ethnically diverse backgrounds realising their potential. These five charity partnerships are focused on doing just that. These partners all have a proven track record, and by backing their expertise we can give many more children the chance to play and to reach their potential.”
