Chances Of Becoming An International Cricketer
- Thread starter freddie90
- Start date
I played a grade for my local club and averaged 30-40 with the bat. i am just saying if i worked really hard......i am sure not everyone aspires to play international cricket, so i got a better chance than i expected.
shortnwide
Active Member
Put it this way, Hussey scored maybe 10k runs at 45+ at first class level before he got his chance. If you're 16+ you probably would want to be in the Premier cricket system already.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
If you're young and you've got some talent and ready to work hard - who knows? What's grade cricket, how many levels down from playing for your state is that? Here in the UK it's kind of goes... (Put me right if I'm wrong) Top down.
(1). England International Player.
(2). England Lions (Blokes skirting around the edges of the top level).
(3). 1st team county player (Australia State level)?
(4). 2nd XI County - University teams?
(5). County District teams
(6). Club level
My sons at stage 5 and he's up against 40 boys all looking for a place amongst the South Essex District team I reckon 15 boys would make the core team and get regular games. Essex is then divided up into 5 districts - same scenario at each one, then that's repeated in virtually every county in England and Wales almost, so any boy that is 14 looking to go further is up against 200 boys trying to break into their age group at stage (4) 2nd XI County cricket. Then there's 86 counties in the UK approx. I'm guessing each county has a 1st X and 2nd XI plus spare players - 30 players per county x 86 players - 2800 or so blokes all looking for a place in the England team? So you've got to be pretty special. I was very impressed with the level (5) which my sons trying to break into, very talented cricket players.
(1). England International Player.
(2). England Lions (Blokes skirting around the edges of the top level).
(3). 1st team county player (Australia State level)?
(4). 2nd XI County - University teams?
(5). County District teams
(6). Club level
My sons at stage 5 and he's up against 40 boys all looking for a place amongst the South Essex District team I reckon 15 boys would make the core team and get regular games. Essex is then divided up into 5 districts - same scenario at each one, then that's repeated in virtually every county in England and Wales almost, so any boy that is 14 looking to go further is up against 200 boys trying to break into their age group at stage (4) 2nd XI County cricket. Then there's 86 counties in the UK approx. I'm guessing each county has a 1st X and 2nd XI plus spare players - 30 players per county x 86 players - 2800 or so blokes all looking for a place in the England team? So you've got to be pretty special. I was very impressed with the level (5) which my sons trying to break into, very talented cricket players.
Dave, Essex have laid out the pathway here
http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/community/district-cricket/
http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/emerging-players-programme/
http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/team/essex-academy/
Not all counties run districts anymore so many go from school/club level straight to CAG (county age group) squad. Most counties then seem to run an EPP (Emerging Player Programme) which takes the 'best' of the CAG players for extra sessions. This then leads to the Academy programme and for minor counties their EPP might feed into a local 1st class county's Academy programme. So lots of steps (or chances to 'find your level') whilst still a 'junior'.
Once out of the junior ranks and into adult cricket it tends to be the ECB's Premier League clubs, Minor County, 2nd XI and then 1st XI cricket with the impression that this was harder to break into than (say) Australian Grade cricket but I think nowadays that is less the case.
http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/community/district-cricket/
http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/emerging-players-programme/
http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/team/essex-academy/
Not all counties run districts anymore so many go from school/club level straight to CAG (county age group) squad. Most counties then seem to run an EPP (Emerging Player Programme) which takes the 'best' of the CAG players for extra sessions. This then leads to the Academy programme and for minor counties their EPP might feed into a local 1st class county's Academy programme. So lots of steps (or chances to 'find your level') whilst still a 'junior'.
Once out of the junior ranks and into adult cricket it tends to be the ECB's Premier League clubs, Minor County, 2nd XI and then 1st XI cricket with the impression that this was harder to break into than (say) Australian Grade cricket but I think nowadays that is less the case.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Joe had his first formal training session last Thursday, interesting to watch. It did look to me as though a lot of the lads having got their foot in the door as such had then turned up at this session with a completely different attitude. One of I've made it - I can take my foot off the gas now kind of thing, the bowling particularly in comparison with the selection stages was shoddy, some of it shocking! Another funny thing was how many of them thought they were batsmen, the coaches asked all of those of you that can bat stand over here. About 85% of them came forward and the bloke smiled. He then said, okay all of you that have opened the batting for your team on a regular basis over here, and the rest of you over here. The percentage soon went down to about 10% for the openers, which I think is the type of batting he was looking for.