Association of Cricket Officials Issue 27 | Page 7

The vision for Cricket Unleashed was an ambitious one – consult with the game in developing a single agreed framework, which sees us united in our ambitions, and agree on the roles of all stakeholders. Under this strategy, the More Play pillar clearly sets about an intent to ‘create outstanding experiences for all in our clubs’, and the role of officials is clearly key to this ambition. With this principle, I began discussions with Nick very early in my tenure where I posed the question as to why this most critical of stakeholders essentially sat removed from the ECB? After spending my first 12 months reviewing the wider operations of the recreational game, it became clear to me that there was a great opportunity, mutually for both the ECB and the ACO, to build on the significant progress that had been made with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and propose a closer working partnership between the governing body and our officials. My honest personal observation was that even with the best of intentions, the fact that Nick and his team were not integrated into the structure of the ECB meant that the requirements of your membership, and the wider officials’ network, were not as prominent in our thinking as they should be. In developing my new structure, I have drawn on my previous commercial experience and time in Australian cricket, as well as 12 months of immersion in English cricket, to develop a structure that best delivers the participation and growth strategy through our partnership with the network. This involves the creation of a new working regional structure that is accountable for the holistic health of cricket participation across a geographic cluster of counties, which will obviously include our umpires and scorers. It is now, in writing this note, that I would like to officially invite the membership of the ACO and your executive to formally ‘come into the tent’ of the ECB, as a further sign of the ambition to genuinely drive this partnership. I think there is a marvellous opportunity to maximise the collective resources of the ECB to add further value for your membership, plus continue to grow participation in your ranks, and look forward to working with you all to drive this important ambition. Matt Dwyer Director – Participation and Growth email us at [email protected] contact us on 0121 446 2710 7