Cricket Australia To Invest $27M Gained From TV Rights Into Grassroots Cricket

Cricket Australia will outlay nearly A$30M ($27M), "pocketed from its record television-rights windfall, on grassroots cricket" according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. A CA strategic investment fund has been established with close to A$30M in its coffers to be spent over four years "as a result of the broadcasting-rights injection agreed to by Nine and Ten earlier this month." A range of projects has already been approved by the CA board that will have money from that fund flow into areas of grassroots cricket and development across the country, "including programs to attract more Australians of non-English speaking backgrounds to the game, more women and girls as well as indigenous Australians and people with a disability." Improving facilities at club level "is also a priority for the broad allocation of cash into the grassroots game" (SMH, 6/21).