The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wants to speak to cricketers and league organisers from across the North West at a special event.
A series of regional consultation workshops, including one at Manchester’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground on 20 July from 6pm-8.30pm aims help improve its understanding and levels of engagement with South Asian cricket fans across the country.
The ECB wants to ensure that cricket is a game for everyone; full of great experiences whether people play, watch, follow, or work in the game.
To help with this, the ECB wants to hear feedback, ideas and thoughts on how cricket can do this for Manchester’s South Asian communities.
They want to hear from people from Afghani, Bangladeshi, Indian, Nepalese, Pakistani, or Sri Lankan communities.
Whether you are involved in cricket or not; you could be a community leader, regular player, volunteer, coach, school teacher, an armchair fan or a parent of a cricket mad child – everyone is welcome to attend.
As well as Manchester, the workshops will take place in seven other regional venues in Birmingham, Bradford, Dewsbury, East and West London, Leicester and Sheffield.
They are designed to encourage local communities to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences on playing, attending or following the game.
Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, independent director at the ECB, said: “We know that there is an incredible passion for the game within South Asian communities nationwide. Cricket is in their DNA and we want them to help shape our future plans for the game.
"Today we are only scratching the surface of the potential engagement with cricket from the UK’s South Asian communities. This is a huge opportunity to grow the game and we want to hear from people in South Asian communities who play or follow cricket, but also from those who don’t.
"Get involved, tell us what you think and contribute to deliver a change and help make cricket a better experience for all.”
Taking place at Manchester’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Thursday 20th July, the workshops will take place throughout July and August, and will not only offer guests an opportunity to have their voices heard, but also give them the chance to get a taste for the sport both at a local level through tickets to local NatWest T20 Blast matches as well as being entered into a draw to win four VIP tickets to England vs India or England vs Pakistan in 2018.
Full list of sessions:
Thursday 13th July (6-8.30pm) The Kia Oval Cricket Ground, London
Sunday 16th July (12-2.30pm) Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham
Monday 17th July (7-9.30pm) Dewsbury Town Hall, Dewsbury
Tuesday 18th July (7-9.30pm) Carlisle Business Centre, Bradford
Wednesday 19th July (6-8.30pm) Fischer County Ground, Leicester
Thursday 20th July (6-8.30pm) Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester
Tuesday 25th July (7-9.30pm) Jack Carter Pavilion, Ilford
Anyone interested in attending can register by visiting ecb.co.uk/southasiancricket or emailing rsvp@ecb.co.uk.
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