University News Last updated 25 September 2023
The decision to award around £260,000 of funding to the pioneering South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) has been called a “watershed moment” by Birmingham City University (BCU) academic and talent development expert Dr Adam Kelly.
He believes the money will have a major impact in addressing issues of inequality and inclusion in the game as well as helping the university continue its groundbreaking work in the field of talent identification and development.
“We want our research to continue helping inform policy making at the highest levels of cricket,” said Dr Kelly, a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching and Physical Education at BCU.
“Hopefully this is watershed moment to ensure we create more equitable talent systems in sport, not only to help create better teams and better athletes, but also enhance the personal development of individuals and increase participation in the long term.”
Both BCU and Dr Kelly were key drivers in the creation of SACA, supporting the research of Dr Tom Brown, a BCU graduate who wanted to create a more accurate system for identifying and nurturing players from underrepresented communities.
Now, almost three months on from a damning report that highlighted worrying levels of discrimination in cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced plans to inject £2 million into the game in an effort to put things right.
Of that £2 million, £260,000 will go to SACA over the next two-and-a-half years, with the rest divided up by four other charity partners of the ECB.
“This is a huge moment for SACA and the British South Asian Cricket community, one that our recent PhD graduate, Dr Tom Brown, should be really proud of,” said Dr Kelly.
“Over the last five years, BCU has played an integral role with both the research it has conducted as well as the funding it has provided to support the programme.”
In 2020, Dr Brown’s research showed that 30% of recreational cricketers in England and Wales were British South Asian, compared to only 5% of professional British male players.
But since its formation in 2021, SACA has been working hard to change those statistics.
Seven SACA players have earned full-time contracts with first-class counties, while SACA has also formed partnerships with the likes of Warwickshire, Essex and Cricket Scotland.
Reacting to the funding news, Dr Brown said: “We're really excited to be partnering with the ECB. This agreement will allow us to provide high levels of support and further opportunities to a number of players dreaming of making their way in the professional game.
“Our current partnership with BCU will also ensure that players have access to state-of-the-art sports science facilities and higher education opportunities. It will also provide research at the forefront of talent identification and development in sport.”
BCU has become an industry leader in the development of talent pathways in sport thanks to the work and expertise of Dr Kelly.
After announcing a collaboration with world football’s governing body FIFA earlier this year, aimed at identifying and developing talent across the globe, BCU recently revealed it will has also created two PhD studentships to continue its research into cricket.
The initiative is part of a collaboration with the ACE Programme and Take Her Lead to build on the work begun by Dr Kelly and Dr Brown, but also focusing on enhancing opportunities for female players from British South Asian communities.