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[uknsaunders]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/808091.html

says it all really

[Northern monkey]

Scary how close to the truth it is tho

[Stuey]

Cricket run by fools, very accurate.
Anyone else fed up with hearing the corporate cricket clap trap used now days such as 'we didn't execute our skills', just say 'we performed badly or we were cr8p today'. I can't imagine Beefy or Lamb saying such nonsense, but today's cricket puppets roll out the same lines over and over again. Skills, skill, skills......agggghhh

[ppccopener]

yes very much so
Cricket and most def the England side, need to reinguage  with the average cricket fan.Jon agnew wrote this at the end of last season on the BBC

So far......we ain't seen much of a change from England
I would like to see the players being a bit more frank with the press 'yeah...it was a bad shot I know or 'bowling was a bit off today it just didn't quite come out right'

I don't want to hear 'executing our skills' or 'right areas' any longer.It's corporate words in a sporting environment-don't work for some of us....

[Northern monkey]

It doesn't and isn't working for anyone
Just alienates em further from the paying public

[ProCricketer1982]

And yet how many on here own england replica kit? Pay for t20, ODI or test tickets?? Even pay for sky... Not quite so alienated then

[jamielsn15]

Just don't heap in those working for the ecb in development doing lots of great work with the elite game. Those trying to raise participation and embed player pathways on an ever decreasing budget do an excellent job.

[ProCricketer1982]

Just don't heap in those working for the ecb in development doing lots of great work with the elite game. Those trying to raise participation and embed player pathways on an ever decreasing budget do an excellent job.

serious question to people. Do 'we' actually think all these development officers, county under whatever teams actually do anything useful?? Has the standards actually risen in the last 10 years due to it and all these 'experts' (experts because they do a degree or hold some NVQ), or is it worse/the same as before.. if it's no better, why not get rid and use all that saved cash on club facilities and just scout the leagues for the top players.

I mean, all I see on sundays is lots of youngsters swanning around in gloucestershire young cricketer tops, hats and hoodies.. 99.9% are rubbish... so what's the point

[WalkingWicket37]

serious question to people. Do 'we' actually think all these development officers, county under whatever teams actually do anything useful?? Has the standards actually risen in the last 10 years due to it and all these 'experts' (experts because they do a degree or hold some NVQ), or is it worse/the same as before.. if it's no better, why not get rid and use all that saved cash on club facilities and just scout the leagues for the top players.

I mean, all I see on sundays is lots of youngsters swanning around in gloucestershire young cricketer tops, hats and hoodies.. 99.9% are rubbish... so what's the point

So when they're a 20-something fourth team ornament they can warm up in (whichever county they're playing in) under 17s gear and feel like a big dog!

[ProCricketer1982]

So when they're a 20-something fourth team ornament they can warm up in (whichever county they're playing in) under 17s gear and feel like a big dog!

lol, true. You just see so many tweets from GCB on this under x cricket, that under y cricket.. All I can think is  'who pays for this and does it even remotely provide any benefit for the cost'

[WalkingWicket37]

lol, true. You just see so many tweets from GCB on this under x cricket, that under y cricket.. All I can think is 'who pays for this and does it even remotely provide any benefit for the cost'

Little Johnny's (who's played county age group cricket since age 5, despite not knowing which end of the bat to hold and being scared of the ball) parents "have to buy" county branded shirt, cap, trousers, underwear and sun cream to be allowed to play. Don't know if that covers the cost or not, but having spoken to a county U11 players parent the other week they spend a small fortune on whites.
I wasn't brave enough to ask about match fees, but I got the impression there was an element of "if you pay they'll be allowed to play"

[jamielsn15]

You only see what you want to see, hey? Have you seen the work done in schools, getting kids engaged in a sport they've never accessed before? Have you seen the school to club links embedded for kids to enjoy playing the game. Not for a hoody or for representative cricket, but just to play the game? Have you seen the adults who have gone back to the game due to new leagues they can play in, whereas before they had one weekend option? You're not going to get your world beaters from those, but the more widespread your foundation, the more chance of future stars coming through... That's what your grassroots development teams are doing. As I said, very different. As an aside, there's a phenomenal amount going into facilities. Still not enough, but get rid of those staff and they'll be white elephants.

[WalkingWicket37]

You only see what you want to see, hey? Have you seen the work done in schools, getting kids engaged in a sport they've never accessed before? Have you seen the school to club links embedded for kids to enjoy playing the game. Not for a hoody or for representative cricket, but just to play the game? Have you seen the adults who have gone back to the game due to new leagues they can play in, whereas before they had one weekend option? You're not going to get your world beaters from those, but the more widespread your foundation, the more chance of future stars coming through... That's what your grassroots development teams are doing. As I said, very different. As an aside, there's a phenomenal amount going into facilities. Still not enough, but get rid of those staff and they'll be white elephants.

How many of these kids play for a club because for the parents it's cheap babysitting though?
When coaching the bit I found most frustrating was the kids who would openly state "I don't want to be here, but my mum sends me here because it's 3 hours I'm out of the house and supervised"

Like you say,  you only see what you want to see, hey? You can rose tint these schemes as much as you like, but at the end of the day those who want to play will play, those who don't want to won't carry on when they're no longer forced to by their parents...

[ProCricketer1982]

You only see what you want to see, hey? Have you seen the work done in schools, getting kids engaged in a sport they've never accessed before? Have you seen the school to club links embedded for kids to enjoy playing the game. Not for a hoody or for representative cricket, but just to play the game? Have you seen the adults who have gone back to the game due to new leagues they can play in, whereas before they had one weekend option? You're not going to get your world beaters from those, but the more widespread your foundation, the more chance of future stars coming through... That's what your grassroots development teams are doing. As I said, very different. As an aside, there's a phenomenal amount going into facilities. Still not enough, but get rid of those staff and they'll be white elephants.

I don't mean to say that some don't do something useful. More that for the cost of all that admin, I'm not sure the 'benefit' is worth it. It's a nice little job though

We could make statements that it's useless or that it's unearthing stars and raising participation.. However, lets use the ECB's own stats... playing numbers are down in league cricket... that means they and these 'development' people are failing. just turning out more 'street cricket' isn't really cutting it.

[Stuey]

There are some good coaches working with inner city schools etc who are doing a fantastic job, there are also some good coaches working in clubs who spend their own time trying to help kids enjoy and improve at playing cricket. And these people deserve more credit because its against a back drop of the ecb and counties making a complete hash of bringing youngsters through. If you go to the 'right school' or play for the 'right club' you will do well to mess up your chances of progressing through the youth ranks
. If you don't go to the right school or club you will do well to even get noticed as no one from the county set up will bother to show up to watch.