Cricket fever won’t last forever... clubs, schools and counties must step up

Over the past 48 hours, we have seen interest in cricket the like of which we have not experienced for a generation.

More than eight million people watched the World Cup Final and the success of the team led by Eoin Morgan has been the talk of the country since.

Cricket must grasp this opportunity. We cannot just sit back and think, ‘Great, we’ve had the final to end all finals and millions of people watched — now they will all just start playing cricket’. Cricket fever will not automatically last.

That’s not the way the world works now. The whole game needs to double its efforts. Clubs, schools and counties — this is when they have to stand up and make the sport more accessible than it has been. The best thing about all this is that it’s only mid-July. It’s not like 2005, when the game drifted off into the sunset because it was the end of the season.

England still have their biggest Test series to play this summer, the women are playing the Ashes, too, and the Vitality Blast is a great way to get children into the sport.

Kids might not want to watch a whole Test match, but they will be up for the Blast. Make it cheap, especially for games that are not selling well. A lot of counties give kids tickets for a day at the Championship. That’s fine, they love it, because it’s better than school — but probably only just in their eyes.

Tickets to a Blast game would be more useful and don’t assume they just want to watch the cricket. It’s hilarious, when I take my kids to Kent, they love going round and minesweeping the £1 reusable cups that you have to buy when you get a beer. It can be the stuff around the game that they enjoy just as much.

We have The Hundred next year and a lot of work has gone into designing it to get children watching the game. Give it a headstart, with a taste of the game for those kids this summer. The game needs to be cheaper for kids to play too.

It’s become a middle- and upper-class sport that is not played in comprehensive schools.

Go to a cricket club now, you’ll see Range Rovers and BMWs in the car park. Is it catering for everyone? Don’t make it a massive thing where you have to join and commit loads of cash. Allowing people to come along casually is just fine.

I’ve been in cricket all my life so I know where the clubs are and what to do. In my experience as a parent, at youth level, cricket clubs — and counties in particular — make it a great game if you’re the best player.

If you are the best, it is great, as you end up doing all the batting and bowling while the other kids are just facilitating your fun.

So until they are, say, 13 you have to make sure all the children are involved, because that’s how they will love it and improve.

I’ve always been about teaching kids the value of winning, but it has to be about enjoyment, inclusion and people contributing.

Parents aren’t dragging their children to cricket to watch them stand fielding all day doing nothing. They don’t just want to see the best kids bat and bowl all day.

Counties need to understand that producing the next Ben Stokes is a one-in-a-million shot. Their first job is to make youngsters want to come back. Make it fun. Producing the next professional player is one per cent of the job. More important is fostering a love of the game.

Now is the time to get into the schools. Once a year county cricketers would have to go and do taster sessions in schools. Go this week, just before term ends. Make it as clear as possible where the club pathway is, that they are catering for new people to turn up. Summer camps, taster sessions, the lot.

Most of all, use this England team. The are diverse, represent all of society, and are aware of their responsibilities in growing the game. They are our greatest asset.