ECB announce bursaries as part of South Asian Action Plan

The ECB has announced a bursary scheme as part of its South Asian Action Plan, which has been established to better engage with South Asian communities.

During the Participation Test at Headingley - which has seen the ECB and Sky Sports partner up to focus on grassroots participation and growth - the ECB revealed, pending a successful pilot, plans to give young cricketers from inner-city areas grants to support their development.

The ECB has joined forces with the Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation, a group which seeks to increase social mobility by widening educational opportunities for young people.

Click here to learn more about the ECB's South Asian Action Plan.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

"When we launched the Action Plan three weeks ago we knew that we would be judged on our actions rather than words," said ECB Non-Executive Director Lord Kamlesh Patel. "In this short space of time it is really encouraging to see the progress that is already being made.

"We know that working closely with key partners will play a huge part in making this Action Plan a success. The partnerships with SpringBoard, The British Asian Trust and the National Asian Cricket Council are great news for the game and for South Asian communities. This is an important first step in making our ambitions a reality."

Ian Davenport, CEO of SpringBoard, added: "We are delighted to be working with the ECB on this imaginative and transformative scheme.

"We know the powerful effect of offering opportunities to deserving young people to fulfil their potential and as importantly the influence that these role models have in their home communities, thus raising youth aspiration which is so important for those in the next generation."

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Some of the additional activities undertaken by the ECB as part of the Action Plan include:

• Inviting applications for three pilot Urban Cricket Centres. ECB will be working in collaboration with a range of partners and people to select the most appropriate sites for the pilots. ECB will be sharing expressions of interest for Centres based in targeted areas across the country. The first of those was published yesterday in East London.
• Agreeing to work with the British Asian Trust as a strategic and significant funding partner for the Action Plan. This new partnership will sit alongside the new advisory body relationship between the ECB and the National Asian Cricket Council.
• Commissioning 51 of the 100 non-turf pitches that the ECB have committed to building by the end of 2019

Watch continued coverage of The Participation Test on Sky Sports Cricket as we look at participation, growth and inclusion in grassroots cricket.

Comment below to get involved in the debate, but please adhere to our House Rules. If you wish to report any comment, simply click on the down arrow next to the offending comment and click 'Report'.