The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today launched its five-year development plan for Cricket for People with Disabilities. Supplementing the ECB National Strategy launched in April, the ECB has today set out to: (1) increase the number of people with disabilities playing or participating in cricket (2) provide the opportunity for cricketers with disabilities to attain success at all levels up to and including international (3) secure funding to support growth and development of the game.

Keith Pont, ECB Director of Development confirmed "We have a commitment to ensure England becomes and remains the most successful and respected nation in the world for all forms of cricket for people with disabilities regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin, location or ability".

In 1999, the ECB launched an initiative to bring together the separate organisations actively involved in disability cricket and a co-ordinating body was established. This Disability Sub-Group has overseen a rise in the numbers of cricketers with disabilities involved in the sport.

Roger Fuggle, the ECB's National Disabilities Consultant said: "There are now over 1000 people with disabilities participating in cricket, either playing, umpiring, scoring or coaching. Cricket provides a opportunity to keep fit and make new friends, with the best players reaching the ultimate goal of representing their country".

The National Strategy provides a framework for the development of cricket 'from playground to Test arena' in England and Wales in the short and medium term. It contains a vision of what the ECB wants to achieve and clear pathways leading to success, but crucially also contains precise targets by which success can be measured.

The ECB Disabilities sub-group includes representatives from the following charities: British Blind Sport (B.B.S), British Deaf Sports Council (B.D.S.C), Special Olympics (S.O), British Association for Cricketers with Disabilities (B.A.C.D) and the Cricket Federation for People with Disabilities (C.F.P.D) to ensure the objectives of the five-year plan are met and the game is taken forward in a co-ordinated way.

© England & Wales Cricket Board