As we approach this cricketing summer with cautious optimism, it is safe to say that whilst the cricketing family was tested last season across many fronts, the South Asian parks cricketing community (SAPCC) had significant challenges that tested their sheer existence.
The journey of many of these SAPCC leagues started many years ago. A large number of them now being in operation from anything between 5 to 40 years, whilst providing cricket under the most difficult of circumstances for thousands of cricketers and yet despite this, they still desperately require their needs to be understood and supported by key stakeholders. The challenges of coming dressed for the game or having outdoor teas is not new to them and one that their counterparts from the traditional cricketing setups can now identify with.
The vast majority of the SAPCC participant leagues/teams across the country are still very much reliant on local authorities to prepare and maintain grounds and taking into account the pressures the local authorities were under last year, the knock-on effects were nonetheless seriously felt.
It is a great testimony to the SAPCC and in particular their league cricket committees that despite the very real challenges, they remain incredibly determined, innovative, resilient. Clearly evident from the fact that from the nine weeks or so that were available last season, many leagues managed to operate and provide a very healthy serving of cricket, be it in the form of T20 cricket, in some cases two games being played on the same day, a T20 midweek league, The Hundred being played for the first time or 40 over games as well as the T10 midweek games. Despite finding the will and determination to support their own cricketing programmes, the challenges are still very real and the key cricketing stakeholders need to build dialogue and find possible solutions.
One of the main areas of concern happened fairly on in the lockdown. Whilst mainstream cricket clubs were allowed to at least commence outdoor training under strict social distance guidelines, the SAPCC were very much left to their own devices with no adequate training facilities available and at that particular point were in danger of not having any cricket at all if the green light for full cricket had not been given partway through the summer.
The SAPCC have over the years been fortunate enough to have access to decent indoor facilities during the offseason for training and arrange a large number of indoor cricket matches via relationships built with local sports centres or schools. However, there was a very real concern that with the way the restrictions were weighted against them around certain lockdowns, their cricket may not have taken off or gone from Sunday to Sunday with little or no practice in between. Here lies one of the major issues that they face and at the same time a moment of opportunity for key cricketing stakeholders be they the regional County Board or neighbouring traditional clubs to address their plight.
The question that arises is what can be done and whilst it may be easier said than done that we help build a relationship between the SAPCC and their immediate local cricket club (s) in reality this brings its very own and real challenges. Bearing in mind that many traditional clubs are for private members only, the idea of sharing their nets say with their local SAPCC may work in some areas but overall, there could be issues over public liability insurance or the fact that the nets are placed in such an area that by inviting these to be shared during an evening junior game may just not be practical from a health and safety aspect. But where there are clear options on sharing training facilities then these should be looked at with great seriousness as the benefits of such arrangements could actually be incredibly positive for the long term aims of both setups and it undoubtedly would help the cause of greater integration and cohesion across diverse communities.
There is one other very real option and that is to extend via the local County Board a potential partnership with a local secondary school that has outdoor net facilities, as there are more and more of these being fitted in schools with an eye for cricket particularly in south Asian communities. Many of these nets are now of a very decent standard and the fact that on most weekdays these are not being utilised during the long summer evenings make them a very attractive option for the SAPCC, being in a prime position to be able to use them, say once or twice a week. The role of the local County Board here is crucial as they are well placed to open dialogue and help support a local partnership that can go a long way in benefiting the school, the SAPCC and the local cricket scene for many generations to come. Having had many a discussion on this front with a number of County Board leads, we sincerely hope this option and opportunity is considered and moved forward with positive outcomes.
In the spirit of positivity, despite the dark clouds of 2020, we have a fair amount to highlight and a brief summary below shows some positive work that we have been instrumental in driving:-
a) In association with the ECB, Club Cricket Charity & The Community Heartbeat Trust we have now administered, delivered and supported First Aid training for close to £100k worth of defibrillators free to the South Asian Cricketing Community.
b) Via the ECB Coaches Association, we were awarded a bursary pot of £13k to support coaches from the South Asian Cricketing Community. To be involved with this programme was incredibly positive and no less productive. We remain grateful to John Neal for allowing us to play a significant part in awarding every penny to the development of the South Asian Cricketing coach (male & female) be they from the basic foundation course or those working towards their Level 4 qualification. You can read more in John’s article in this newsletter.
c) The concept of the ‘Community Talent Champion’ was one that we discussed with the ECB a number of years ago as another way of identifying young Asian cricketing talent via their community and we are delighted that we have now reached a very positive juncture.
We have been busy working behind the scenes with David Court (ECB’s Men’s Player ID Lead) and Alun Powell (ECB’s National Talent Manager) and in David’s article in this newsletter you can get a greater understanding and significance of this programme.
d) In September 2020 we had a further three boys attending Repton and Woodhouse Grove under the ECB/Royal Springboard Boarding school programme. In total that takes the number to six and for us this remains one of the most rewarding and impactful programmes we have been involved with.
e) Whilst the vast majority of our work continues to be as an advisory body, the playing side of our organisation and seeing this develop over the last few years has been particularly pleasing. This journey commenced with the ten games that we play against the MCC around the Country and along with this fixture we now have the privilege of playing the British Police CC as well as the prestigious Free Foresters CC. It is however safe to say that the most wonderful honour and privilege was allotted to us when the MCC awarded us a Secretary’s game on the main Lord’s pitch on the 18th June. It promises to be a very special occasion in our journey and we are working with the MCC and the MCC Foundation in making it a fantastic way of engaging the south Asian cricketing communities as well as having a women’s cricket festival on the nursery ground at Lord’s on the same day. We remain incredibly grateful to Guy Lavender, John Stephenson, Dr Sarah Fane and the MCC cricket office and look forward to a wonderful day.
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