Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
PCA representatives meet to discuss players’ views on the game.
Playing representatives from professional squads across England and Wales convened at Edgbaston on Thursday for the 2022 PCA Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Following on from last year’s virtual AGM, the group of 31 individuals, including 12 from the women’s game, met in-person to discuss the key issues facing professional cricket and for the PCA to gain further insight into the players’ views on matters that directly affect those who they represent.
In 2021, that included professional cricket’s ongoing response to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of the PCA’s new Futures Fund for players leaving the game, and positive developments in the growth of women’s game.
There was also discussion on the PCA’s role in the game-wide 12-point plan to tackle racism and discrimination within cricket, including an update on the development of the PCA Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group, which implemented further education for players last year.
Discussion on current challenges faced by PCA members surrounded domestic and international playing schedules, mental health and an increase in legal issues involving professional cricketers.
“The AGM was led by insightful and progressive conversations which provided further encouragement to the direction of travel at the PCA.”
JAMES HARRIS, PCA CHAIR
Looking to the future, the PCA executive outlined its ambitions to continue providing a high level of service to its membership, with a focus on provision of quality legal advice, continued progression in the women’s game, new commercial opportunities, protecting player rights and more.
Finally, the PCA Players’ Committee signed off the association’s accounts and financial statements for 2021, before the meeting was formally adjourned.
PCA Chair James Harris said: “Today marks my first year in position as Chair of the PCA and it has been a demanding 12 months. The AGM was led by insightful and progressive conversations which provided further encouragement to the direction of travel at the PCA.
“There’s no doubt that professional cricketers currently face huge challenges which we will work hard to overcome during the next 12 months, but today’s meeting with the player representatives shows that the PCA is in good shape, and well placed to face those challenges head on.
“I’d like to thank the group for taking the time to travel to Edgbaston and contribute to the 2022 AGM.”
PCA Chief Executive Rob Lynch said: “This was my first in-person AGM as Chief Executive of the PCA, and it was fantastic to see such strong engagement and questioning from a very bright group of players.
“The game has gone through such big challenges over the last 12 months, and the PCA has been front and centre of those. We feel we’ve navigated those challenges well, but we’ve learned lessons about things we can do better in the future to provide high-level service to our members.
“It’s an exciting 12 months ahead for an organisation that has more playing members than ever. We’ve got the biggest schedule of cricket ever coming up, including the second edition of the Hundred, a packed international schedule, and from our perspective our role is to make sure that player views are represented to the ECB and the game’s other stakeholders.”
