The agreement will see EPIC provide an educational programme to the PCA about gambling safety and in a first for the Association, will include all women’s county and regional squads.
Patrick Foster, Director of UK and Rest of the World at EPIC Risk Management, said: “We are delighted to continue our work with the Professional Cricketers’ Association. In 2021 we have been able to provide sessions for the county academies and women’s regional teams, conducting these sessions digitally during lockdown and more recently in person.
“The initial feedback from players has been really encouraging, with the squads showing great interest in the vital message we’ve been delivering; they’ve asked plenty of pertinent questions and demonstrated a lot of understanding how important an issue it is.”
In its first year, the programme will be rolled out to all county academies and women’s regional teams, then to all county professional squads and the PCA’s rookie camp in year two.
Year three will see EPIC deliver the programme on the largest scale as it comes to all county academies, women’s regional teams and the rookie camp, followed again by all county professional squads and the rookie camp in its final year.
“We have worked extensively with EPIC in the past and the quality of education delivery has always been of the highest standard, so we look forward to this partnership continuing in an official capacity for the next four years, including delivering education to women cricketers for the very first time,” said Ian Thomas, Director of Member Services at the PCA.
“The welfare of our members is always our first priority, so it’s important that we make all professional cricketers, as well as academy players, aware of the mental health implications that recreational gambling can pose with assistance from EPIC Risk Management.”
