National Academy Update

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the National Academy will be based, in principle, at Bisham Abbey. The ECB's plans, recently approved by the First Class Forum, are subject to gaining funding approval from the Lottery Awards Panel later this year.

Providing the requisite funding is available, without which the project could not be undertaken, the National Academy will be fully operational in autumn 2001.

In order to gain this funding, the ECB must submit its Cricket Performance Plan, which covers the identification and development of talent from playground to Test arena, to the Lottery Awards Panel at the end of June. This Plan will seek appropriate levels of funding for a number of player development initiatives, one of which is the National Academy.

Approval for this from Sport England may take up to three months, meaning that any firm announcement on the format and programming for the National Academy will not be made until approximately the end of the current cricket season.

An 'A Team' Tour will therefore take place as normal over the winter, with the destination and dates to be announced shortly.

Hugh Morris, ECB's Technical Director, said, "Logistically, it will not be possible to open the National Academy until the end of the 2001 cricket season. Not only do we need to wait until this autumn before we hopefully get approval for any lottery funding, but, subject to that, we need to build relevant facilities at Bisham Abbey. Our successful 'A Team' programme will therefore continue for one final year."