30th May 2025
| Matt Thompson
Cricket Wales and Glamorgan Cricket are pleased to communicate that the application window for the talent pathway in 2025/26 is now open, alongside some key changes to the overall structure of the talent pathway.
The detail below aims to explain the two processes that are available to players depending on their age group.
*Please note that Cricket Wales & Glamorgan will be delivering a live and open webinar on Wednesday 11th June (6pm) to enable people to hear about the processes and the pathway changes. Sign up to the webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7AD1RgeNSEadA1xFD2a8Jw
U10 – U12 Boys & Girls (current U9s – current U11s)
What’s the process: This introductory video clearly explains how the process works:
How to apply: Parents/players simply complete the google form (https://forms.gle/HH3eTKeY5UB8vKMZA) to express their interest in having a go at one of our Skills & Talent ID sessions.
What happens next: They will be invited to multiple sessions at the end of the summer where coaches will look to capture and measure attributes which could indicate high potential in players. These include attributes like balance, co-ordination and reaction time as well as ball striking capability and some cricket specific skills.
*Players will not require any cricketing protective equipment on the Talent ID day and we WILL accept expressions of interest players who may not have had experience of a hard cricket ball yet.
Deadline for applications: Sunday 24th August 2025.
Next Steps: Players that score highly across multiple sessions will be invited onto the Cricket Wales Regional Programme for Boys or the Glamorgan Early Engagement Phase Programme for Girls.
U13 – U14 Boys (current U12s & current U13s)
Tutorial Video #1 (Explaining The Process)
How to apply: Launched in 2024, the Cricket Wales Video Nomination Assessment Process allows anyone in the above ages, who believes they have the talent to progress onto (and further up) the pathway to nominate themselves.
Videos have to be submitted by Sunday 24th August to the mobile number 07523678914 and must adhere the requirements outlined in the ‘How to Submit’ instruction video below.
Tutorial Video #2 (How to Submit Your Videos)
*We WILL accept nominations from any player who may not have access to protective cricketing equipment and/or a hard cricket ball. Where you do have access to these, it is requested that you use them however.
*Please see the supporting information document as part of the video process which parents and players should read in advance of submitting their videos.
Next Steps: Players are assessed by a panel comprising of Cricket Wales pathway staff and an independent panel member, individually at first before being moderated further to ensure that unconscious biases are mitigated against. Players that are successful in getting through the video round will be invited to multiple sessions (in September 2025) for coaches to further assess their skills before determining their suitability to join the Cricket Wales Regional Programme.
U13 – U15 Girls (current U12s – current U14s)
Exactly the same process as the U13 – U14 Boys with regards to the Video Submission Process.
Talent Pathway Changes
The main headline changes to the talent pathway sees the following changes. We hope the below visual depictions of boys and girls structures illustrate this further:
- The introduction of the Early Engagement Phase programme (U10 – U12) which Glamorgan CCC will administer and co-ordinate. For boys selected onto the EEP this will dovetail with the Regional Programme enabling players to partake in both programmes. For girls they enter the pathway at the EEP stage before progressing onto either the Cricket Wales Regional Programme (U13 – U15) or the Glamorgan County Age Group (CAG) programme (U13 – U18).
- The Cricket Wales Regional Programme for Boys will stop at the U14 age group moving forwards rather than U15. Previously each of the four regions operated two teams from U10 – U15 whereas the intention is to operate the following in each region moving forwards: x2 U10 teams; x2 U11 teams; x1 U12 team; x1 U13 team; x1 U14 team.
- The Cricket Wales Regional Programme for Girls operated U12, U14 & U16 in 2024/25. For 2025/26 it will operate at U13 & U15 age groups.
- Glamorgan will administer their own open trials process for players to push their case for CAG selection – further detail to follow.
Both organisations are excited at the changes and the opportunities this provides talented cricketers across Wales with to optimise their potential, and further their cricketing development.
We have produced an FAQs document which parents and stakeholders might find useful in the first instance though if you have any queries that do not feature on it please contact Cricket Wales Head of Talent Pathway Matt Dando-Thompson on [email protected]