Talent Pathway review – ECB 2024-25
The ECB are committing to a significant restructure of entry to the Talent Pathway – delaying the start of County Age Group programmes until U13, and introducing an Early Engagement Programme for both boys and girls.
County Age Group Programmes (Under 13 to Under 18) – Boys and Girls CAG
A Talent Pathway is a key element of a sporting ecosystem in providing a pipeline of exceptional talent for a thriving domestic game and winning England teams. We know that an effective Talent Pathway will also contribute broader benefits to the game, such as the improvement of recreational cricket. Collectively, the Talent Pathway can be thought of as a series of progressive stages and programmes that identify and develop young recreational cricketers through to becoming professional players. The focus and intensity of the programmes increase from County Age Group to Emerging Player and Academy Programmes (first class counties). This can be seen in aspects such as the programme contact time, volume and form of individual support and the range of development opportunities afforded to the players with the greatest potential.
County Age Group programmes involve coaching sessions over the winter months and a summer programme of competitive fixtures. Over the past four years girls’ and boys’ County Age Groups have differed in structure. From Winter 2025, County Age Group programmes for girls and boys will be aligned in T20 and 50-over cricket. ECB National Competitions will be held at Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18 levels, embracing both T20 and 50-over formats for both boys’ and girls’ and additional multi-day formats for the Boys’ Pathway, reflecting the men’s professional game.
Early Engagement Programme Introduction Winter 2025-26 – Boys and Girls Young Antlers
As part of this restructure, we are refining our Early Engagement Programme* at U10-U12 before the start of CAG at U13. The programme will be shaped by the following principles:
- Broaden the talent base and increase the connection between the recreational game and the Talent Pathway.
- Be localised, aiming to minimise travel costs and providing appropriate support and assistance where it is most needed.
- Build foundational competencies to enable players to perform to their maximum capability over time.
- Inspire players to commit to a lifelong engagement in cricket.
- Emphasise all players receive fair access to match-play opportunities (intra-squad)
*this programme will replace our current Boys Charley Cricket Programme and Girls CAG U11-U12 and Jets programmes.
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