The 2013 Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) cricket scholars have been confirmed by the AIS and Cricket Australia (CA) today.

This year’s intake of athletes also includes six players who have been selected to attend the Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy (ABICA) in Hampshire, England as part of a partnership between CA and Hampshire Cricket. This program has been supported by the Kerry Packer Foundation.

The remaining 12 scholars will participate in the program based at the CA Centre of Excellence as well as overseas training opportunities in the sub-continent.

The squad was selected by the Cricket Australia National Selection Panel, with its competition focus to be split between the Australia A tour of England, and the Australia U19 tours of New Zealand (NZ), India and the One-day Tri-Series  between  Australia, NZ and India.

CA National Talent Manager Greg Chappell said: 'This year’s squad of scholars includes players that were part of the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup squad as well as some new young talent and experienced first-class cricketers.

'It is exciting that six of these young players, largely from our 2012 Under 19 program, will have the opportunity to go over and spend six months in England linking up with the Hampshire Cricket Club.

'The players heading to England are talented young cricketers who will benefit greatly from the exposure to the different conditions they will see over there. They will also link up and train with the Australia A side, as well as the ODI team during the ICC Champions Trophy and the Test squad ahead of the Ashes.

'The AIS scholars based in Brisbane will be fortunate enough to spend a considerable amount of time during the winter working with the Centre of Excellence staff in specialised training programs.

'The pace bowlers will also get to spend some time with one of Australia’s greatest pace bowlers, Glenn McGrath, at the MRF Pace Foundation in India, while the spinners and batsmen will head to Sri Lanka to experience the different conditions the sub-continent brings.

'This is a very exciting program for these young cricketers and is part of CA’s plan to develop and expose the next generation to conditions and challenges they will face when they play on the international stage,” said Mr Chappell.

Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Director Matt Favier is confident that the AIS/ Cricket Australia Centre of Excellence program will continue to produce top quality international cricketers.

'This program has been around since 1988 and in that time there have been a large number of players go on and play for Australia.

'Past scholarship holders have included cricketers of the calibre of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Shane Watson to name just a few.

'This program provides the opportunity for young players to receive intensive quality coaching and also get the best support as far as sports science and sports medicine,' Mr Favier said.

The AIS squad and their individual programs will be managed by COE Head Coach Troy Cooley with the support of CA High Performance Coach Stuart Law and some specialist consultants including Craig McDermott, Stuart MacGill, Mark O’Neill, Graeme Hick, Tim Nielsen, and a number of the State Coaches.

The AIS and CA have also named three development scholars who have been identified as young emerging talent. The three players will take part in a program at the COE during school holidays.

2013 AIS Hampshire scholarship recipients

2013 AIS Scholarships recipients