England Indoor Cricket

About ICE

Since 1 November 2009, Indoor Cricket England Limited has been appointed as the Governing Authority for 8-a-side Indoor Cricket in England under the auspices of the World Indoor Cricket Federation, which has its headquarters in Sydney, Australia.
On 13 March 2009 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, Mike Gatting, MD Partnerships for the England and Wales Cricket Board announced that the Board of the ECB had ratified ICE’s position. 
ICE has tabled a 5-year plan for the growth of 8-a-side Indoor Cricket nationally across the UK, and will also be working with the ICC – Europe to drive international growth across the 30 member countries of the European Cricket Council.This will see ICE tailor its goals to meet the ECB and Sport England objectives for increased participation and retention in sport across the whole spectrum of the community with particular focus and young children, and those who are 15 to 24 years of age.
ICE GOALS

To build on the existing foundations of 8-a-side cricket and put the game of Indoor Cricket on a sound financial footing in England and Wales, while running the sport on a professional level.

• Maximise the development of the game at the existing 6 arenas by targeting coaching, social participation, and competitive leagues.
• Focus on identifying and establishing 20 new arenas over the next 5 years, which will create new interest in a game that is faster that 20:20, but is more accessible to the crowds that watch 20:20, where they can emulate their heroes in front of their friends, spouse, and children every week!
• Improve the nutrition, fitness and skills of the England national teams so we compete and WIN in International competition against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, in addition to the 6 emerging nations. 

ECB OBJECTIVES

• Increasing participation in cricket amongst boys and girls, across the community spectrum, with particular focus on the 15 – 25 age bands, which are the ages where cricketers are lost to other interests.
• Developing participation in cricket at the existing centres, by implementing coaching initiatives that build on existing activities at the centres, or starting from grass roots level.
• Create and/or continue to develop children’s leagues from U9 – U17 level to create excitement within the game of cricket.
• Focus on the provision of nutritional and fitness advice to children of all ages, so that they can carry the health benefits though their lives, in line with the government’s health objectives.
• Evolve the sport at senior level to create a professional league involving first class cricketers from the professional game.