Hampshire Cricket and Cricket Australia Announce Landmark International Cricket Academy Partnership

Hampshire Cricket and Cricket Australia (CA) have announced a partnership which will see six of Australia’s most talented young cricketers travel to the United Kingdom to attend the Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy (ABICA).

ABICA has been established in order to maximise the use of the fantastic facilities and staff at the Ageas Bowl and to provide development services to high-potential cricketers from around the World during that part of the year which constitutes their off season. English players have, for many years, been sent to Australia, South Africa and India as part of their overall development and ABICA offers a structured approach to this process during the English summer.

As part of the program the Australian players will compete for six different club teams in the Southern Electric Premier League for the duration of the English domestic cricket season.

This landmark partnership will provide the selected players with the opportunity to train and play in elite state-of-the-art facilities in England during Australia’s domestic off-season. The players will have access to world-class coaching and sports science and medical staff.

The ABICA is based at the Ageas Bowl which boasts first-class training facilities and is used by Hampshire Cricket to identify and nurture talented young players.

Hampshire Cricket Chairman Rod Bransgrove said he was looking forward to Hampshire Cricket playing a key role in the development of the selected players.

“The Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy (ABICA) commences operations in April of this year and we are delighted that Cricket Australia (CA) is sending six high-performing young players to the Academy in its inaugural year,” Bransgrove said.

“This shows a high level of confidence and faith in the ABICA facilities and staff and we look forward to working with CA in accelerating the development of these talented young cricketers.”

The program and partnership will form part of the 2013 AIS Men’s Cricket Program and the Kerry Packer Foundation will provide scholarships to the selected players, in its continued endeavour to support young cricketers.

CA’s Executive General Manager Team Performance Pat Howard said the partnership would provide a unique development opportunity for some of Australia’s most talented cricketers.

“CA is very excited about this partnership and opportunity for our very best young players,” Howard said.

“The opportunity to experience cricket in a different country will grow them as players and as people. For those chosen it will be an important part of their development."

The National Selection Panel (NSP) are currently finalising the AIS squad and will select six of these players to take up the opportunity with Hampshire Cricket. A final announcement regarding the selected players will be made in due course.

To hear a full interview with Rod Bransgrove about the partnership, click on the audio file below:

 

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