THE performance of the England U17s in the World Cup in India last weekend has not only shone the spotlight on the country’s next generation of footballers but also thrown up the perennial question of whether they will ever be handed a chance by the club sides in the highest profile league in the sport.
It’s a question that English cricket would do well to ask itself, too.
This winter, Joe Root will lead an England side in the Ashes that contains a good few graduates from the age group system put in place by the ECB. They include James Vince and Jake Ball, who played in the same...