Top elite cricket countries such as South Africa, England and Australia continue to draw heavily from private education systems. In these nations, cricket success seems almost tied to ones school uniform. If cricket boards want to promote equity and competitiveness, they will need to broaden the talent search by investing in grassroots cricket infrastructure in under-resourced areas.
If you were to walk through the corridors of some of the worlds leading cricket schools, you might hear the crack of leather on willow long before the bell for the end of the day rings.
Across the cricketing world, elite schools have served as key feeder systems to national teams for decades. They provide young players with superior training facilities, high-level coaching and competitive playing opportunities.
This tradition has served as crickets most dependable talent pipeline. But is it a strength or a symptom of exclusion?