Ex-England cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent believes a £35m government investment in the grassroots game is a “seminal moment” that can lead to a “generational change” within the sport.
The cash injection will be delivered over the next five years to improve access to the sport in state schools.
It will include 16 all-weather cricket “domes” being built across England.
“Getting cricket back into state schools en masse is major,” Rainford-Brent, 40, told BBC Sport.
“We are now going to have the funding to be able to get to the kids, give them hubs in areas where they can thrive, and I think we are going to see a real seminal moment for cricket.”
Rainford-Brent, a member of the England team that won Women’s World Cups in both the 50-over and T20 formats in 2009, set up the ACE (African Caribbean Engagement) charity four years ago.
The programme aims to re-engage young people of African and Caribbean heritage with cricket and address a significant decline in the number of black professional players in the sport.
“Some of the biggest barriers are actually around perception and access,” she added.
“I was a state school kid and didn’t get the access to provision, and it was challenging.
“So the news over the last couple of weeks and working on the project has been a dream come true. I really want to see this happen and I know this is going to make generational change.”
A sizeable proportion of the money pledged, £14m, will be divided between three charities – ACE, Chance to Shine and Lord’s Taverners.
Around 2,500 pieces of new equipment will be provided to every school involved in the programme with the aim of getting almost a million more pupils playing the game.
England and Wales Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson believes the investment will “turbocharge” growth in the sport as England prepare to host two upcoming T20 World Cups – the 2026 women’s edition and men’s tournament in 2030.
“This will enable a million children that would never have had the opportunity to play cricket, they will now get that chance, which is extraordinary,” Thompson said.
“We’ve got a World Cup in 2026, the Olympics in 2028, the men’s World Cup in 2030, we won’t get that cycle again. This funding will really help us make the most of those huge global events.”
