Dear Clubs and Members

You are aware of the current challenges that the game faces and it is important that everyone within the Oxfordshire community is aware of the announcement made by the ECB on November 26th 2021. As the governing body of the game within Oxfordshire, we have been incredibly busy over the last week in preparing our own response and we still have some way to go. New demands will be placed on County Cricket Boards, and we need to respond to those demands quickly and without compromise. In our desire to be the best non-first county both on and off the field, we are working hard to ensure that Oxfordshire aspires to excellence with regards to the subject of Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion. If cricket doesn’t fix this problem, the government will.

This challenge is currently consuming the same senior resources that would normally focus on AGM preparation. As a Board of Directors, we have taken the unusual step of moving our AGM from its customary December window. This will give us time to focus on recruitment and constitutional issues that will need to be addressed. The Board of Directors has therefore decided to move the AGM to Monday, February 7th. If possible this will be a physical meeting (covid permitting) to accommodate an important voting process.

In the meantime, as soon as the accounts are available, we will share with you the AGM pack, plus any associated reports. Oxfordshire cricket is in great shape, but now is the time for considered reflection before we embark on some key decisions that have to be made.

We are pleased to announce that in keeping with Bye-Law 6 the Board of Directors has co-opted Siri Siriwardene to the Board. Siri offers us access to both legal and compliance expertise, a gap in our skills which we had previously identified. You can find out more about Siri here – https://www.blmlaw.com/people/siri-siriwardene . Just as importantly Siri is a player and coach for Abingdon Vale CC and a parent in our pathway, so he is deeply connected with the game in Oxfordshire. We are extremely fortunate to have his services. Siri will join the Board with immediate effect and his first task will be to use his multicultural corporate experience to lead on our EDI compliance plan which is a contractual priority and needs to be in place by April 2022.

Siri Siriwardene, on his appointment, said: 

‘’Cricket is my passion so I am delighted to be able to contribute towards better compliance and regulation, especially now. Having met with Chris and others on the board it is clear that they want to take the lead in delivering something meaningful.’’

Please join us in welcoming Siri to his new role, we look forward to working closely with him. If you would like to contact him, you can by email to [email protected]

Chris Clements, Chairman of Oxfordshire Cricket said: 

‘’Siri volunteered his services last week, and after meeting with him today we very quickly concluded that would be an excellent addition to our Board. His access to legal and compliance skills and experience are a perfect fit for the gap we had previously identified, in addition, he has expertise in multicultural organisations. Cricket is experiencing a very difficult time at the moment and his appointment is one of many steps that we will be taking to generate confidence in the game and make sure it remains an attractive proposition to future generations.

The Oxfordshire EDI policy will impact the whole cricketing community in Oxfordshire.’’

We will take this opportunity to remind members and member clubs that we are holding a members forum on Monday 29th over Zoom.