ACA and Cricket Australia launch youth development award

Australia's best under-17 male and female cricketers are set to benefit from a youth development award established with unallocated money in the player retainer pool following the suspension of Shane Warne last year.

The award, to be given to the respective male and female Player of the Series from the national under-17 championships, will see the players join the Australian men's and women's teams as they prepare for international competition.

An initiative of the current Australian 25-contracted players, the ACA Youth Development Award will be managed by the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) in conjunction with Cricket Australia, and will be granted annually. The tour/camp dates for the 2004 awards will be advised in due course.

The male award winner will travel with the Australian men's team on tour for seven days, attending all team training sessions, meetings, and sitting with the players in the dressing room during matches.

The female award winner will attend the Australian women's team's training camp held over three days at the Cricket Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.

The funding for the awards has been drawn from a surplus in the player retainer pool following Shane Warne's 12-month suspension. Typically, these monies would have been reallocated to the contracted Australian players.

However, at the contracted players' pre-season training camp last October, the group decided to use 75 per cent of the unallocated amount to establish the ACA Youth Development Award, and donate the remaining 25 per cent to the ACA's Player Hardship Fund, which assists past and present players during times of genuine need.

ACA President Ian Healy said the creation of the awards showed the commitment of the current players to the future development of Australian cricket.

"The ACA Youth Development Award has been created to give highly skilled young players the opportunity to experience touring life with Australia's national cricket teams," said Mr Healy.

"That opportunity will not only benefit their development as cricketers, but also their personal development which is equally important.

"The awards also allow Australian cricket to promote the chance for international travel which is a vital point of difference that may help attract athletes to cricket rather than other national sports."

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said it was important that the surplus funds were allocated appropriately. -more- "Obviously with Shane's suspended contract there remains an unallocated sum of money, and it is pleasing to see the players (including Shane Warne), the ACA and Cricket Australia work together to create such a meaningful initiative," said Mr Sutherland.

"There's no doubt the awards will have a positive impact on the elite youth players.

"It's a wonderful chance for them to experience international touring conditions and a credit to the national players to see fit to provide such an opportunity for these developing cricketers."

The ACA Youth Development Award provides the following benefits:

The award provides for the winner and his parent/guardian:

The award provides the following for the winner and her parent/guardian:

The respective award winners will be announced at the conclusion of the national underage championships.

The Commonwealth Bank Under-17 Championships, currently being staged in Adelaide, conclude on Friday 16 January while the Australian Female Under-17 Championships, to be staged the following week in Victoria, finish on Friday 23 January.