Building Partnerships - Foreword - Building Partnerships - Publications - ECB

Building Partnerships - Foreword

In early 2005 cricket in England and Wales could look back over a year of many successes and a great deal of progress.

Record-breaking success for our national men’s and women’s teams – television and sponsorship deals which safeguard the financial future of the game – and innovations like Twenty20 bringing new audiences to cricket demonstrate that the game is healthy and thriving.

Yet if we are honest, much of this success has come against a background of ill-defined roles and responsibilities and plans which were not costed in detail. In effect, our game’s planning was based on wish lists and a series of well-intentioned independent projects which were not part of any unified strategy.

Building Partnerships aims to address those issues, creating a strategic framework for the successful growth of the game in England and Wales.

David Collier, ECB Chief Executive

For the first time, the ECB is laying out a strategic plan based upon clear and measurable goals. For the first time, we are setting ourselves targets by which we and our stakeholders will track our progress. And for the first time, we address each and every area of our game, in a considered and forward-looking manner that provides a focus for all our stakeholders.

There are many different stakeholders involved in cricket, each with an important role to play. The Building Partnerships plan will succeed, building the right foundations for continued growth and success at every level of our game – from playground to test arena – if we all play our part.

The Building Partnerships plan will be implemented from 1 January 2006. I ask you to play your part, enthusiastically and actively, in creating a world-class game in England and Wales.