Scotland’s first full-time training academy for cricketers is being run at Edinburgh’s Telford College in partnership with Cricket Scotland.

The year-long Cricket Performance course at Telford will become an integral part of the Cricket Scotland player pathway, offering national level players of school-leaving age the flexibility to train full-time while also remaining in Further Education.

The course, which is bursary-funded, develops practical skills in all aspects of cricket, including speed development, strength and conditioning, flexibility, psychological skills, sports massage and physiotherapy, as well as offering academic SQA Higher National Units in Fitness Testing, Resistance Training and Sports Coaching Theory. As part of the course students will also have the opportunity to attend an overseas academy.

As well as increasing their chances of becoming professional cricketers, students who successfully complete the Cricket Performance course can progress onto one of the HNC/HND Sport courses at Telford, which provide entry into the third year of Napier University’s BSc degree in Sport and Exercise Science, which is also delivered at Telford.

Craig Wright, Performance Development Manager at Cricket Scotland, said: “We feel that the Cricket Performance Course, in conjunction with the Academy structure, will provide our best young cricketers with a well structured, varied and focused 12 month programme which will give them the best opportunity to maximise their potential and gain some valuable life experience at the same time. On completion of the Academy year, players can progress in further education, into employment, or perhaps into careers as professional cricketers.”

Eddie Pollock, Sport and Fitness Lecturer at Edinburgh’s Telford College, said: “We are delighted to team up with Cricket Scotland to offer Scotland’s first ever Cricket Performance course, and help the country’s talented young players develop their skills in the sport, while also gaining SQA qualifications at the same time. It’s an exciting prospect to potentially have the professional cricketers of the future in our midst.”

For more information on the Cricket Performance course or for an application form, please call 0131 559 4000 or e-mail eddie.pollock@ed-coll.ac.uk or craigwright@cricketscotland.com