Having spent more than 30 years perfecting the art of preparing grounds for domestic and international cricket, Gary Barwell loves the sport.
At 50, and Head of Sports Turf and Grounds at the famous Edgbaston Stadium, his team has played its part in some iconic moments, including the first day-night ‘pink ball’ test, and England’s comprehensive victory over Australia in the semi-final, on their way to winning the ICC T20 World Cup.
Gary Barwell at the world-famous Edgbaston stadium, Birmingham
Keen to test himself and expand his knowledge of the game he loves so much, Gary enrolled on the newly established Cricket Management PG Certificate at 91视频 (DMU) Leicester.
The eight-month postgraduate certificate has been designed to help professionals develop a critical understanding of cricket, how the sport continually grows and development strategies from the grassroots level, all the way up to the elite international level.
“People who know me know that I wasn’t particularly academic,” Gary said. “Completing this university course will probably be the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.”
As a distance learning course, students can study at their own pace alongside their work commitments from anywhere in the world to develop the expertise needed to work at all levels in cricket.
Applicants can come from any undergraduate course, and individuals with non-traditional educational paths with cricket experience (as a player, coach, staff member, or volunteer) are encouraged to apply and are considered equally to study on the course.
The Cricket Management PG Cert is divided into two key modules: History, Diversity and Ethics in Cricket, and Cricket Development.
With England and Wales hosting the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup this year, understanding the game’s governance, historic prejudices against women and those from a non-white background, and how to develop fair pathways for everyone will be crucial to ensure the tournament has a lasting legacy.
Gary said: “The first assignment was about diversity, ethics and the history of the game really took me out of my comfort zone.
“If you understand where the game has come from, you get a more balanced view of where it’s going. That knowledge gives a leader the opportunity to make more informed decisions for the benefit of their club.
“If someone asks me about the women’s game or diversity, I’ve now got a balanced understanding through the course and I feel confident speaking about it.
“You should really take an interest in the sport you work in and I think more people in cricket would benefit from courses like the one at DMU”.
Dr. Heather Dichter, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Sport History within DMU’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture and Programme Leader for the Cricket Management PG Certificate, said: “The course has been designed as professional development to help individuals already working in cricket to gain additional knowledge to benefit their own career trajectory in the sport as well as the organisation they work for. It’s great to see the first cohort of students see the immediate benefits of their studies even before they finish their degree.”
Emma Godman, who plays for Somerset Women and is a Level 3 ECB cricket coach, leads the Cricket Development module on the 91视频course.
Emma Godman teaches the Cricket Development module on the 91视频course
Soon to receive her PhD in Sports Coaching, Emma believes that studying through 91视频can bring a modern, reflective approach to the game, a skill that the next generation of cricket leaders desperately need.
“You need to get people to think and reflect on what they're doing,” Emma said. “Otherwise, nothing is necessarily going to change.
“The biggest issue facing English cricket is its exclusivity. I’ve broken sports development down into what cricket can do, not just performance-wise but by developing communities.
“Being aware of safeguarding procedures, policies, creating a safe environment and then making it accessible to as many people as possible.
“There isn't a formalised cricket development focus within coach education courses, so it’s really good to get a full appreciation of what goes into cricket development.
“If you can bring to light the inequities faced by marginalised groups, that’s a really good start.”
Of course, you don’t have to be at the top level of cricket to make a big difference. 32-year-old Harry Warren is a civil servant and has played cricket at a grassroots level since he was a young boy.
Looking ahead to the future, Harry was concerned that if he had a daughter, she wouldn’t have the same opportunities to play cricket that he had, simply because she’s a girl.
To help give more girls and women the opportunity to pick up a bat and play, he won funding from Sport England and the National Lottery to set up a dedicated girls’ and women’s programme at his local club Hunningham Cricket Club, based just outside Coventry.
Harry said: “The course has been a real eye-opener. You think that you know the game, but actually, you don’t. You don’t know until you really study it.
“We need to provide safe spaces for women and girls to feel like they can start something new.
“When we get into 11‑plus teenagers, the infrastructure isn’t there for girls to facilitate them wanting to play cricket. I want to change that.”
Since launching in January, 30 women aged between 12 and 65 have started training with Hunningham CC, with Harry also managing to bring in a female coach to act as a role model for the women.
The course is also helping Harry best understand how to develop the programme from scratch, ensuring it is governed correctly and complies with the ECB rules and regulations.
Harry added: “I want to make sure funding is being spent for the right purpose. It needs to have the most impact, getting more women playing and strengthening the infrastructure to the game.
“It’s important for people at the amateur level to understand governance issues, equity and diversity to ensure that the investment that is coming into the game is protected.”
Posted on Wednesday 18 March 2026