USA Cricket is delighted to announce the launch of a new Intra-Zonal Youth Competition structure for aspiring hard-ball cricket players. The U13 & U15 Intra-Zonal Youth Competitions will be played in each of the six USA Cricket Zones during Q3 of 2022. U13 will be playing a 30-Over format, whilst the U15s will play 40 overs.
This competition is designed to supplement and give further meaning to existing local youth competitions and tournaments, forming the first step in the next level of competition, establishing a clearer pathway for players from grassroots through to representative cricket.
The U15 age-group has been identified as the primary focus for 2022, with the U13 level also identified as a key age group to the overall cricketing ecosystem. USA Cricket will build from this foundation with current plans to expand the junior and youth structure in 2023 and beyond. In addition to the Men’s Under 19 National Championships which was such a success in 2021, USA Cricket hopes to make further announcements about an inaugural USA Cricket Youth U15 National Championship in due course.
Players wishing to be considered for selection to their local intra-zonal U13 or U15 squads should register via this link by August 4th, 2022.
Those wishing to be involved as coaches, match officials and/or volunteers can also register their interest via the same link.
USA Cricket Board Director and Chair of the Development Committee Venu Pisike said, “We are pleased to finally launch these tournaments as they have been a number of seasons in the making. We know that there are thousands of youth players and their parents around the country who are desperate for a clearer pathway from recreational to representative cricket. In establishing some of these zonal structures and competitions we are doing just that, and also giving more meaning to the many excellent local and regional cricket competitions currently happening all over this great country.
The establishment of these tournaments is just a start and it is a very important one. Not just for creating the player pathways, but also as a first step in establishing zonal administrative structures around these events. There is a genuine desire from USA Cricket to empower people within the zones, and this is a tangible step in that direction.”
