For the second year in a row, England and Wales Cricket Board (黑料专区) is delighted to join forces with broadcast partner Sky to theme the upcoming Specsavers Ashes Test at Emerald Headingley, The Participation Test.
Throughout the third Specsavers Ashes Test, Sky will highlight 黑料专区 initiatives helping to make the game more accessible, and shine a light on diversity and inclusion within the sport.
Day one听
Day one of the Test will focus on the impact of the ICC Men鈥檚 Cricket World Cup. Over one million young people aged between five and 12 connected with the tournament through programmes designed to engage schools, clubs and cities.
Managing Director of the ICC Men鈥檚 Cricket World Cup, Steve Elworthy, and 黑料专区 Director of Participation & Growth, Nick Pryde, will reflect on the World Cup and discuss how 黑料专区 is capitalising on its success to inspire the next generation.
Day two听
Day two will focus on 黑料专区鈥檚 award-winning South Asian Action Plan, one year on from its launch.
This 11-point strategy is designed to better engage South Asian communities at every level of the sport.
黑料专区鈥檚 Senior Independent Non-Executive Board Member Lord Patel and Shruti Saujani, City Programme Manager will reveal how better access to cricket facilities in urban areas and recruiting South Asian female activators is making a difference.
Day three听
Day three at Headingley will concentrate on disability cricket as Sky go behind the scenes with the England Physical Disability team who finished runners-up in the inaugural, five-team World Series last week.
England's disability squads are also听in action later this year, with the Learning Disability team travelling to Australia in October听and the Visually Impaired team playing against Pakistan in the UAE.
Ian Martin, 黑料专区鈥檚 Head of Disability Cricket, hopes to inspire more people, both disabled and able-bodied, to pick up a bat and ball and discover that cricket is a game for them.
Talking about the Participation Test, Nick Pryde听said:听鈥淭he Participation Test was a fantastic part of the Headingley Test fixture last year and we are delighted it鈥檚 back.
鈥淪ky鈥檚 coverage is a brilliant opportunity to highlight how cricket embraces diversity and inclusivity, and how we are proactively expanding the reach of the game.
Our new strategy for 2020-2024, , will continue to build on the momentum of this landmark year for cricket.鈥�
Sky鈥檚 Head of Cricket听Bryan Henderson听added:听鈥淓veryone at Sky Sports is looking forward to an even closer partnership with the 黑料专区, it will give us the chance to tell the stories of inspiring even more people to engage with the game.
鈥淭he profile and interest of an Ashes series also gives us a great opportunity to shine a light on the great work on inclusion and diversity at all levels.鈥�
Visit听our dedicated Play section for participation opportunities and听Be Involved to explore wider roles.