News

The PCA is making progress in representing the collective rights of its membership, including via a recently expanded partnership with the fantasy cricket game The Cricket Draft which will benefit the players.

In 2021, players signed a collective rights document to allow the PCA to negotiate commercial deals on their behalf, and a subsequent first-of-its-kind agreement gave The Cricket Draft an exclusive license to use player data in-game.

The same deal has now been upgraded to run for a two-year period, and The Cricket Draft will now have access to Somerset’s Tom Abell, Issy Wong of Central Sparks and Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson, who will act as brand ambassadors, facilitated by the PCA.

The trio of rising stars will be involved in creating branded Cricket Draft content, with a view to driving sign ups the fantasy cricket game via their social media profiles.

Funds raised from the collective rights deal are being invested back into the PCA membership. Last year, the agreement with The Cricket Draft helped to facilitate social media and mental health workshops with players, and this year it will go towards the Professional Cricketers’ Trust’s Confidential Helpline, which is available to support players year-round.

The Cricket Draft launched in 2021, with a view to becoming the go-to fantasy cricket game in the UK and to bring fans closer to the sport. The Cricket Draft’s mission is to increase engagement and raise the profile of domestic cricket in the UK, and the game has partnered with the PCA to ensure the game is run for the benefit of the players as well as the fans.

The Cricket Draft is now launching its games for the 2022 season, which will include fantasy cricket competitions for the County Championship and the Vitality Blast.

PCA Chief Operating Officer, Daryl Mitchell, said: “Making sure that all players get a fair deal in exchange for their services is a key part of what we do at the PCA, and that’s why we’ve placed so much importance on representing our members’ collective rights in recent years.

“We’re delighted to have signed this seminal agreement with The Cricket Draft, not only because it gives us the opportunity to work alongside such an exciting new product, but also because the money raised will help us to continue providing a high-level of service to our membership.”

The Cricket Draft Co-Founder, John Welch, said: “When we set out back in May 2021 to build The Cricket Draft, we had a vision to create a game that would be for the benefit of the sport; both in terms of fan engagement as well as continuing to champion the fantastic performances of the players and support the domestic competitions.

“We are delighted that, alongside the PCA, we have been able to do this and we are exceptionally excited about the partnership and what we can achieve together in the coming years."