Leicestershire CCC Announce 2024 Academy And EPP Squads

Leicestershire CCC is delighted to announce the list of players selected for the boys’ Academy squad and Emerging Players’ Programme (EPP) for the 2024 season.

A total of 14 players will be working within the Club’s pathway setup across both groups, with six Academy scholars and eight EPP selections forming this year’s outfits.

The hard work for the new season has been in full flow since early November, with Leicestershire’s budding best aligning their training programme with the Foxes’ First Team.

Alex Green:

-            A 6ft 6” fast bowler with the ability to generate significant pace and bounce, Alex has been one of the standout performers in Leicestershire’s Academy in recent seasons. The 16-year-old’s 52 wickets at 17.87 saw him rewarded with selection to participate in a duo of Young Lions 50-over warm-up fixtures “ returning economical figures of 7.2-1-27-2 in the first match, before taking 3/35 the following day. The Peterborough-born bowler registered his career-best figures, 6/42, during July’s draw with Derbyshire in the ECB U18 County Championship.

Liam Tew:

-            A dynamic all-rounder, Liam has progressed through the pathway and made his Second XI debut for the Club in 2023. He picked up 29 wickets for the Academy and top scored with 64* against Antigua & Barbuda Touring XI in July. Liam has shown leadership qualities and is someone his teammates look up to thanks to the way he approaches his cricket. The 18-year-old also had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the Foxes First Team after being named as 12th man last summer.

Jamie Dunk:

-            A gritty top-order batter, Jamie had a 2023 to remember on numerous stages. After posting a fine century on the Academy’s tour of the UAE in the early part of the year, the 18-year-old recorded 708 runs at 33.71 across the summer “ headlined by a score of 141 against Nottinghamshire in August. His form earned him the Academy Coaches’ Player of the Year award “ while he also scooped Player of the Tournament for the 2023 ICC Under 19 Men's World Cup Qualifiers after firing Scotland to the top of the table with 255 runs at an average of 85.

Ronak Rajashekar:

-            A consistent performer for the Under 15s, Ronak is an exciting top-order prospect. The 16-year-old registered 300 runs at an average of 50 in 2023 “ topped by a knock of 89 against Warwickshire. His form merited selection to represent the Midlands at the prestigious Bunbury Festival in July.

Arnav Rai:

-            After a superb 2022 season for the Under 14s age group, Arnav backed up such form by top-scoring for the Under 15s in 2023. His 350 runs at 38.89 included a magnificent 131 not out in a 50-over clash against Yorkshire “ with his runs recorded at an impressive strike rate of 98.04.

Raiffe Headley:

-            Son of former England international Dean “ Raiffe is a right-arm fast bowler with the ability to swing the ball both ways. He took 14 wickets for the age groups at 26.29 in 2023, including seven at U18 level. The 17-year-old also toured Dubai with the Pathway last February, claiming a further seven wickets.

The EPP has taken on eight players for the 2024 season, with Josh Fitzpatrick, Ali Farooq, Devarsh Shah, Anish Das, Ollie Hull, Usman Minhas, Jacob Townsend, and Jay Madan forming this year’s group.

All eight will train twice per week alongside the Academy throughout 2024, with the goal of earning an Academy scholarship.

Discussing this year’s intake, Jigar Naik, Head of Talent Pathway, said: “As a Club, we’ve got a rich history of producing cricketers locally and for the international stage “ and we’re very excited by this group of players coming through.

“We aim to pass on the same message continuously and deliver the best education possible. The boys train like professionals, with the same focusses on skills, fitness, phycology and nutrition “ ensuring development and hopefully an eventual smooth transition to senior cricket.

“We’ve got a great structure in place now, which has staggered our intake across the Pathway’s age groups and affords us more time to invest in players. Now, our coaching unit can plan longer term and develop our players over two to three years.”

Naik will continue responsibility for the U18s, while Paul Johnson will take charge of the U15 and U16 age groups. Following Dave Whitmore’s move to become First Team Fielding Coach, Dieter Klein will assume responsibility for both the U13 and U14 sides, while Dipesh Patel is set to control the U11 and U12s.