Girls and boys in Surrey can now send their video applications to apply for the Surrey Talent Pathway’s 2024 intake.
Launched in 2023, Surrey County Cricket Club’s Video Submission Assessment Process is up and running for its second year, aiming to make the talent identification process of young cricketers in the county more open, easy, and equitable.
Last year alone, the Club received around 1500 submissions, with around a third of the applicants progressing to phase two, in-person assessments.
The video assessments allow anyone who believes they are of the ability to be a Surrey CCC Performance cricketer to nominate themselves. Previously, only local clubs, schools, and other cricketing organisations were able to nominate players for an assessment.
Players are assessed anonymously in order to ensure that no unconscious bias regarding a player’s school or club influences the process.
The window to send in video submissions will remain open from 15 May until 1 July. All applicants will need to fit the eligibility criteria, submit a video that is in line with the highlighted protocols, and complete the assessment consent form. Videos are to be submitted via WhatsApp.
Players must live or go to school in Surrey or be registered at a cricket club in the county. Players must also possess a British Passport or have proof of ‘permanent leave to remain’ in the UK. Boys and girls from U10-U18 (school years 5 to 13), can apply.
There are specific guidelines for batters, bowlers, and wicketkeepers as to what needs to be demonstrated and how the videos should be shot. To learn more, please refer to the video below.
Players whose videos are accepted by the Club will progress to an in-person observation session, where coaches will get a detailed first-hand view of the players’ batting/bowling/fielding skills.
Successful players from this phase will be invited onto an age-group-based training and match-play programme over the course of this winter/following summer.
The observation sessions will run throughout September and October on Sundays, with the aim of communicating the final selection into the Club’s programme by 1 November 2024.
Chris Tayler, Head of Talent Pathway, said: “The Surrey age group assessments represent a key part of our Talent ID strategy. We aim to reach out to all the aspiring young cricketers in Surrey and want to make the application process for them as easy and as accessible as possible.
“In 2023, we made a substantial change to our nomination process in an attempt to make it more open and equitable to all. We moved away from our traditional process and replaced it with video submissions from players and parents.
“The response that we received was heartening to see. We had girls and boys applying from across the county. Some of them applied whilst recording at a beach or bowling to their grandparents in the backyard! I look forward to building on last year’s encouraging start.”
All the information on how to submit an application is available here.
