We are told English cricket is about to put serious money into counties, cricket facilities and recreational club support, but the tougher question is whether the game has the leadership capacity to turn that into the basis for a genuinely thriving ecosystem? 

On Thursday 21 May,  2.00-3.00pm, the Cricket Research Network is hosting a webinar discussion on “Beyond cathedrals and congregations: building leadership for cricket’s ecosystem”, using the article in this month’s The Cricketer as a springboard to explore what kinds of leadership, at club, county and ECB levels, are needed for the long‑term growth and sustainability of the whole game. 

Ex Leicestershire CEO Sean Jarvis and leadership expert John Neal – former ECB Head of Coach Development – will respond to a short introductory proposition from the article’s author, John Swannick of Cricket Club Development Network, orchestrated by Raf Nicholson, Guardian cricket correspondent and chair of Cricket Research Network. 

We’re inviting cricket leaders from county clubs, boards and foundations and the recreational game, as well as leading researchers and analysts keen to understand the prospects for domestic cricket over the next 5, 10 or 20 years.