Leicestershire County Cricket Club have announced a new Global Alliance Network, the Global Club Cricket Network.
The network is the first to be created within cricket and has been developed by the club to share best practice and commercial knowledge between clubs operating at a similar level around the world.
The first club to join the network is South African based franchise, the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras.
Leicestershire County Cricket Club CEO, Sean Jarvis said: “At Leicestershire we’re really committed to developing the club’s role within the professional game. By learning and sharing knowledge between other clubs in our network we can progress within the game and broaden our horizons within the business of sport.
“It’s also about breaking down barriers in sport; sharing ideas, tactics and knowledge is one of the best ways to do this. It’s part of our strategy to generate opportunities for young talent to flourish within our Academy of Cricket; creating the Global Club Cricket Network will play a big part in this.
“The partnership will also give us greater scope to strengthen our diversity strategy by creating a platform for players around the world to learn from each other.”
David Brooke, Brand and Sponsorship Manager at the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras said: “We feel honoured to be the first club to join the Running Foxes’ innovative new network.
“It’s a great opportunity to link up with a UK-based club to share best practice and commercial knowledge. We also share similar values around embracing diversity and coaching younger talent to become world-class cricket professionals, so it’s a really good fit for us.”
Cape Cobras CEO Albertus Kennedy is excited about the prospects of building this network. “We have a very proud tradition at the Cape Cobras, being one of the most successful franchises in the history of South African domestic cricket and having produced international players such as Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Richard Levi, Rory Kleinveldt, to name just a few. To share knowledge with our friends in the UK is something which can only benefit our organization going forward.”
The Cobras will soon be involved in the Momentum One Day Cup. They have included Jersey international Ben Ward in their squad. Former Proteas batsman Christiaan Jonker is also in the mix. This website for online casino also has odds for the One Day Cup.
The Cobras squad also includes all-rounder Jason Smith, who has recovered from injury and a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
Janneman Malan is also in the squad. He has been good enough to play for South Africa in ODI and T20I cricket, but was not selected for the Test tour of Pakistan.
Cobras spinner George Linde and franchise team-mate Kyle Verreynne are with the Proteas in Pakistan.
“I’m really excited about the squad that we have selected. It has a fresh youthful exuberance feel to it. It has some exciting, lesser-known players who are chomping at the bit to make a name for themselves in South African domestic cricket. The Western Cape is a massive region, stretching all the way from Plett to Saldanha. There is a lot of talent out there and a couple of young guys will be afforded the opportunity to go and showcase their talents. I’m really excited about that, and I’m sure they’re even more excited – should be good fun,” said Cobras coach Ashwell Prince.
“Ward was born in Jersey and represents them at ICC Associate Level but is a South African Passport holder. He had some excellent performances for Maties in the Varsity Cup, which was played at the same ground, Senwes Park, in a similar type of tournament where the fixtures are congested. The square gets a lot of traffic on it, so spin comes more and more into play.”
