Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has joined Century Cricket Centres as a major investor and global ambassador as the technology-led cricket training company begins its North American expansion with a flagship facility in New York City. Ponting will also serve as the company’s lead global advisor for coaching and talent-identification programmes, giving him an operating role alongside his financial investment and ambassadorial association. The size of Ponting’s investment and the company’s valuation were not disclosed. Century Cricket plans to open its first flagship centre at Bryant Park in Manhattan as the starting point for a broader network of technology-enabled cricket facilities across North America and other international markets. The company is positioning the centres as 24-hour, membership-based training facilities where players can practise, compete and track performance using technology and data. Its larger plan is to connect physical training centres with a digital ecosystem covering players, coaches, performance data and competitions. Ponting to work on coaching and talent identification Ponting’s role will extend beyond promoting the brand, with the former Australian captain expected to help shape the cricketing and performance aspects of the platform. Century Cricket said he would contribute to its coaching programmes, talent-identification framework, game scenarios and technology-led training systems. “Century Cricket will be the future of cricket coaching and talent identification.
I did not hesitate to become involved from the very first time I was presented with the ambitions of the company,” Ponting said. He said the technology could allow players across different standards to train and improve their game, describing the planned New York centre as a showcase for the company’s model. Ponting’s investment comes alongside his appointment as global ambassador, giving Century Cricket access to his experience across playing, coaching and talent development as it looks to build the business in new markets. Chris Millard, chief executive officer of Century Cricket, said Ponting’s involvement was intended to go beyond a conventional endorsement arrangement. “What excites us most is that this goes far beyond an ambassador relationship.
Ricky will help shape how Century Cricket develops players, identifies talent and uses technology and data to create a better cricket experience,” Millard said. New York centre to anchor expansion The Bryant Park centre will be Century Cricket’s first flagship location in North America and is being positioned as the base for a wider expansion. In the press release the company said it plans to develop a network of centres in major markets, though it did not disclose the number of facilities planned, investment required for the expansion or a timeline for subsequent locations. Its business model is built around year-round access to technology-enabled training infrastructure rather than traditional coaching facilities operating during fixed hours. Players using the centres would be able to train, compete and monitor their performance through a combination of physical facilities, data and gamification. Launching the first flagship facility in central Manhattan is also intended to give the company visibility as it seeks to scale the model internationally. Century Cricket bets on technology-led training Century Cricket is seeking to combine physical cricket infrastructure with performance data and digital tools, moving coaching and player development towards a model where performance can be measured and compared across locations. Ponting is expected to advise the company on how those systems are translated into cricket-specific coaching and talent identification. The model would allow Century Cricket to build a common performance framework across its centres while also creating a database of players and their development. The company has not disclosed details of its existing revenue, membership pricing, fundraising history or the capital expenditure required for the planned network. Clayton Glenister, incoming chairman of Century Cricket, said Ponting’s playing and coaching experience would be important as the company enters new markets. “As we scale Century Cricket across new markets, having someone who understands both the game and how to build enduring value around it is invaluable,” Glenister said. Ponting played international cricket for Australia for 17 years and was part of three World Cup-winning teams, captaining the side to the titles in 2003 and 2007. He scored more than 27,000 international runs across 168 Tests and 375 one-day internationals and led Australia to 48 victories in 77 Tests. The New York facility will be the first test of whether that combination of technology, membership-based training and elite-cricket expertise can be scaled into a wider international network.
Source: www.business-standard.com
