Cricket South Africa’s Post

Crawley* Duckett* Pope* Root* Bairstow* Stokes Foakes Hartley* Wood Bashir Anderson This was England's cricket team in the last Test match against India in March. What do all those with an asterisk next to their name have in common? That they all went to private school. Cricket is relatively resource-heavy when compared to other ball sports popular in the UK. You need a decent pitch (not a soggy astroturf pitch with mould on it) and outfield (not one with rabbit holes everywhere), indoor facilities for the winter, bats, pads, helmets, gloves, balls and boxes. And that does not even mention the coaches or the umpires needed to navigate our complex game. I am speaking from experience when I say that poor cricket facilities are commonplace around state schools in the UK. That's why I am very pleased to see the Prime Minister announce a series of investments in grassroots and state school cricket facilities. The funding will be delivered, at least in part, by the ECB with three charities - Chance to Shine, Lord's Taverners and ACE - once again demonstrating the powerful impact that can be created when sport and charity combine. Helping to get investment, whether public or private, from the "top" to the grassroots is a core part of the work I do at Bates Wells. It involves the preparation of complex grant agreements which navigate the sometimes tricky approach that charity law takes to sport. If you or anyone you know is looking for assistance on a sports grant arrangement, please do get in touch. https://lnkd.in/eikkj5kx

Last week showed the broken side of cricket, but you had to look beneath the surface to see it. In the space of a few days, across a few miles in the capital, two events happened which showcased the tricky situation sport (and in particular cricket) has got itself into. On a gloomy morning at the Oval, Surrey Cricket Club found out they were champions. We should congratulate Surrey for the third county championship win in a row. Three seasons, three wins. They are by far the most well funded, well supported club with an ever growing membership base. On a similar gloomy afternoon a few days earlier, Foxton Granta won the Voneus Village Cup. They chased down 240. A great victory, but it could be their last. They have no funding, and have a declining playing base. Cast your eye around the county structure and in most counties the story is the same. Small clubs are struggling to generate enough players, at a junior and senior level. Less players means less funding. Less funding means less opportunity. Less opportunity means less competition. Less competition means less sponsors. Less sponsors means… Surrey distribute some of their income through Surrey Cricket Foundation, which does create more opportunities, but that’s in some of the wealthier parts of the capital and beyond. The grant fund that we’ve started at Next Bigger Better aims to bridge some of the gap and provide a kick start to small projects at ambitious clubs. As the skipper of Foxton Granta said “There are always teams dropping out of the junior leagues in Cambridgeshire cricket. There do seem to be less and less teams every year." Hopefully we can do our bit to stop the rot. If you’re a club that’s interested in accessing funding, than get in contact. #cricket #funding Surrey Cricket Foundation Kent Cricket Community Trust KCCT Lancashire Cricket Foundation

Be a mental health hero T10 Cricket Championships, Saturday May 25th, 9 pm – 4 pm, Conover Cricket Grounds No matter which team wins or loses, which player scores highest runs or gets most wickets, the winner of this Cricket charity tournament will be the most vulnerable folks of our community. This year’s annual township T10 championship is to raise funds for mental health and suicide prevention. The beneficiary organization is Attitudes-In-Reverse, who are there literally day and night to answer the call for help from people who are at the verge of giving up their last ray of hope. Like the past few years of championships, there are two groups of three local teams. Let me introduce the Group A teams. Coincidentally, Group A has the tournament champions of the year 2023 (PJCC lead by Murali Duvapu) and 2022 champions (Penns Neck Farmers lead by Amit Murumkar and Irfan Ali) 1. Princeton Junction Cricket Club. Captain: Murali Duvapu (2023 Champions) 2. Dutch Neck Firebrands. Captain: Vineet Anand 3. Penns Neck Farmers. Captain: Irfan Ali (2022 Champions) As a reminder, these six teams represent the six historic settlements that form West Windsor township in its current form (map attached). Please donate generously for this noble cause of suicide prevention and mental health. Use the following link to donate and mention “Cricket” in the comments box. https://lnkd.in/e2agn9RU Prabhat Tomar Satish Acharya Irfan Ali Amit Murumkar

One Community Cricket & Family Day 2024 Ref: 20333 by Community United West Berkshire Location: West Berkshire (Local Authority) We want to use the funds to organise the third "One Community Cricket and Family Day 2024". The organisation involves hiring the cricket grounds, first aid provision, certificates for participants, bottled water and other items required for a successful running of an event of such magnitude. Last year's event was very successful and is one of the reasons why this year's event is oversubscribed in terms of the cricket teams that would like to take part, even though we have doubled the capacity this year! This event is the manifestation of our commitment to: - bringing communities together - raising awareness and working to eliminate discrimination - promoting positive relationships between our diverse communities - advocating for equal opportunities for all We believe that a multicultural sport and social community events involving all of the many different ethnic minority and diverse communities as well as the majority community in the area is one of the best ways of promoting all of these strands and bring us all together. The event will go ahead in some form regardless – the funding will ensure that the event is promoted widely to encourage the highest possible attendance, and that the facilities we provide and the family entertainment on the day in addition to the cricket competition will be as diverse and engaging as possible. - Diversity is a fact. - Equity is a choice. - Inclusion is an action - Belonging is an outcome. The One Community Cricket and Family Fun Day is all about belonging. There is more information on our website, here: https://lnkd.in/ezy_wFKJ Interested in donating:- https://lnkd.in/er-psU7h. Greenham Trust Berkshire Community Foundation The National Lottery University of Reading Berkshire West Primary Care Alliance Berkshire Cricket Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

So yesterday was the first England Futsal u19s men and women's training camp of the season. There are approximately 30 players in each group. If you add this to the senior teams, we now have approximately 120 players. This is great. Unfortunately, and very sadly, all these players are having to pay for this privilege. Each player is PAYING England Futsal Ltd £450 for the season to attend six training camps. This works out at £54k that England Futsal Ltd are receiving in income. We know from the FAs public statement that they are offering ZERO funding, support and resources. Despite me asking publicly, we are also unaware of any other cash raised from sponsors or third parties. I also need to remind you that the £450 offers NO GUARANTEES in representing your country. It merely confirms you'll attend the six training camps. Now, if you get selected to represent your country, like the recent Women's senior team who competed in Moldova, you are expected to pay ANOTHER £400 for pre-tournament training and extras. So in a nutshell, all the players collectively, are paying England Futsal, a private limited company, c£100k for the chance to play for their Country. To remind you again that the FA offer ZERO funding. This is abhorrent and brazen behaviour. Further questions need asking of England Futsal Directors, in particular the sole shareholder, Michael Skubala, because they aren't issuing financial breakdown statements to the players, as England Futsal Ltd are notorious for misleading statements. #futsal #truth #misleading #shameful #accountability #integrity #TheFa #englandfutsal #UEFA #FIFA #sportengland #transparency

This can only be positive

🌍 Three months of transformation through wheelchair tennis in South Africa, together with Kopano and Patrick Selepe. In just three months, we have witnessed how sports not only uplift players but also inspire entire communities. We are proving that wheelchair tennis is much more than just a game—it's a tool for change. 💪 The effort and dedication of every player and coach have been extraordinary. We’ve seen how commitment on the court translates into significant improvements, not only in sports performance but also in the physical and emotional well-being of the players. 🏆 Our achievements so far fill us with energy and motivation to continue. We know this is just the beginning. We are working to increase resources for our schools, with a clear focus on enhancing the health and performance of our players. 🔜 What’s next? Our commitment is strong: we will continue creating new opportunities, tournaments, and events to further empower this project, which has a profound and lasting impact on everyone involved. Would you like to be part of this transformation? Your support can make a difference, helping us continue changing lives through wheelchair tennis in South Africa. 🌟 Together, we are changing the game. #wheelchairtennis #inclusivesports #socialimpact #donate

I've been thinking about the line of questions that should encourage people to think and care about the way things are going with regards to futsal in England. Football is riddled with corruption and funny money and it just lives with that. So may be difficult for the anti corruption line alone to score big hits. We know The FA needs a revamp! Players want to play. Teams want to feel successful and to play in an environment with integrity. Administrators want a clear framework to work in. Coaches want good professional development and committed players etc. All this needs stable, honest funding, open & functional Governance and passion for the sport at all levels. With all that kind of good stuff in mind, look at England Futsal. Where is the evidence of financial systems and stability to handle £1M+ ? Where is the openness to give the community confidence in its future? The evidence shows that England Futsal is at best trying to accommodate The FA's ridiculous parameters that The FA sees as suiting it's own objectives. Stability is not just about money, it's about passion, integrity and purpose behind it. We continue to see The FA treat futsal with contempt. We see double and contradictory standards at play all the time. (rejecting certain offers of financial support while allowing others..... even openly allowing / encouraging players to turn to platforms like gofundme. How can a Limited Liability Company with only modest public filing obligations and very few assets serve the needs of futsal in England? Who oversees public money flowing through a regular privately owned business? Or may be it is impossible for public money to flow through such a business into futsal in which case public funding of futsal could be severely limited. To get income, England Futsal needs something to generate it. Delivering services, selling rights, sponsorship etc. Most if not all of the 'saleable' assets with any value are largely controlled by entities outside of England Futsal ie The FA. With no evidence of value-earning assets in England Futsal, it's hard to see how it can maintain control and therefore stability of funding. Happy Halloween. #truth #futsal #accountability #integrity #misleading #TheFa #englandfutsal #AbuseOfPower #betrayed #UEFA #FIFA

Our species has been sitting around the fire telling stories for longer than we would like to admit. The stories we tell ourselves and the people around us are weaved into every aspect of our lives. Last night I had the good fortune of attending a gala dinner at the Savoy in London, to celebrate and raise funds for the Kholisi Foundation. The story of Siya and Rachel Kholisi is an incredibly powerful one, and it's not powerful because of the achievements, where there are many, it's powerful because of their humility despite the achievements. Before the Rugby World Cup last year I thought of Siya as a rugby player, a World Cup winning Captain, and an incredible athlete. But as I watched the interviews and listened to his story, I was drawn to the reason WHY he puts his body on the line the way he does. I was drawn to the reason why the rugby team he captains was able to pull out win after win after win in a World Cup where most people bet against them. And when they won the Cup again, I watched more interviews, but I didn't focus on the sporting ones, I focussed on the personal ones. When he speaks his story, he is unapologetic & completely unafraid to speak plainly of the harshness & the goodness he encountered as a child, and how that built his formative character. He speaks openly about the mistakes made as an adult, and the lessons he has learned.  He understands how being a 2x World Cup winning Captain gives him a platform to reach & impact more people. And how all of that has created the purpose he now carries. So supporting the foundation Rachel runs was not a hard decision to make, because they are both doing something impactful because of their direct and personal experiences. There are many people who I would not invite around my fire, because I know that the conversation would be..... Meh. I believe that if I was to sit around a fire tonight with Siya & Rachel, they would speak plainly & honestly, and the stories they would tell would be painful to remember, but they would be powerful. I think that if they can continue to build momentum in the work they are doing, through their story, then in time they will not only be remembered as a "rugby couple", but something more. Hopefully something greater. So if you are in my network, and you don't know the story, then spend 20 mins tonight finding out more: https://lnkd.in/ggs9xaCr Take a look at the foundation: https://lnkd.in/gTqRnASP Add the book to your bedside table: https://lnkd.in/gmgvqGKp And then offer them your support. You will be in good hands ;-) Maryline Mertz - you are amazing for putting together our table, thank you 🙏 Ugo Monye - you were an amazing host last night. Thank you! Steven Bartlett - I recommend you interview both Rachel & Siya. Your listeners need to hear their story & your platform will help them to build more momentum. PFA.