Chris Woakes: ECB’s Cricket For Lecturers initiative will get backing from former England bowler

Former England bowler Chris Woakes has given his backing to new ECB initiatives that plan to take cricket to greater than 3,500 academics and over 1,700 state secondary colleges.

The brand new ‘Cricket For Lecturers’ programme and ‘Secondary Countdown Cricket’ competitors help the ECB’s ambition to achieve greater than half of all state secondary colleges by the top of 2028

Cricket For Lecturers is a free instructor coaching programme designed to present PE academics the arrogance, abilities and information to ship high quality cricket classes for college students of all skills.

Taking part colleges will obtain coaching, assets, tools and ongoing help to assist set up a sustainable cricket tradition on the college.

Woakes, a two-time World Cup winner with England, capped 217 throughout all codecs, mentioned: “I used to be lucky sufficient to find my love of cricket via alternatives in school and in my local people, and I understand how necessary these experiences could be for younger folks.”

Woakes, who retired from worldwide cricket in 2025, added: “These programmes will assist introduce cricket to many extra kids who might by no means have picked up a bat and ball earlier than. The extra alternatives we are able to present in state colleges, the stronger and extra inclusive the way forward for our recreation might be.”

Alongside the ECB’s new coaching programme, Secondary Countdown Cricket is a brand new mass-participation delicate ball competitors for college students aged 11 to 16.

Funding will present colleges with coaching, tools, assets and aggressive enjoying alternatives designed to make cricket extra accessible than ever earlier than.

Richard Thompson, ECB chair, mentioned: “Once we launched the State College Motion Plan, we made a dedication to create extra alternatives for younger folks from each background to expertise cricket. At this time’s launch is a crucial step in delivering that dedication.

“State colleges educate the overwhelming majority of younger folks in England and Wales, so if we’re severe about making cricket essentially the most inclusive group sport within the nation, we should guarantee these colleges have the help they want.

“Cricket For Lecturers and Secondary Countdown Cricket will assist take away boundaries, construct confidence amongst academics and provides tons of of 1000’s extra younger folks the chance to take pleasure in every part our sport has to supply.”