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Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program

The Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program is made possible by the generosity of philanthropist and former NSW Cricket Director, Basil Sellers.

The Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program is a world-class development program, designed to provide our best emerging cricketers with the skills and opportunities they need to effectively transition to NSW contracted programs.  

  • The best emerging male and female athletes from across the state are offered a place in the program. 
  • Numbers are small to allow for bespoke programming and elite servicing.
  • The program is available to metropolitan and country-based athletes, with a servicing model designed around each player’s individual circumstances.
  • Programs are overseen by a member of Blues or Breakers coaching teams to ensure alignment with elite teams. 
  • Athletes are given access to the best coaching, Sports Science and Sports Medicine resourcing and career support. 

The 2023/24 season saw the introduction of a two-tier system: 

Tier 1 

  • Athletes who have the potential to earn a state or rookie contract in the short term  
  • Receive the Basil Sellers financial scholarship 
  • Access to the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program 
  • Equipment sponsorship with Kookaburra sports 

Tier 2 

Athletes who have the potential to earn a state or rookie contract in the future 

  • Access to the Basil Sellers Emerging Player Program 
  • Equipment subsidy with Kookaburra sports 


Thanks to the continuing magnanimous support and philanthropy of former Cricket NSW Director, Basil Sellers AM, the program enters its 18th year this season. There has been a total of 156 unique scholarship recipients since the inception of the program in the 2006/07 season. 

Within that 156, 21 male and female cricketers have gone on to represent Australia in the Test, One-Day or T20 arenas including current Australian Captains Pat Cummins and Alyssa Healy. 


The 22 scholars to have represented Australia at the highest levels include:

  • Sean Abbott
  • Stella Campbell
  • Nicola Carey
  • Lauren Cheatle
  • Patrick Cummins
  • Hannah Darlington
  • Ashleigh Gardner
  • Josh Hazlewood
  • Alyssa Healy
  • Phillip Hughes
  • Usman Khawaja
  • Phoebe Litchfield
  • Nic Maddinson
  • Erin Osborne
  • Kurtis Patterson
  • Ellyse Perry
  • Gurinder Sandhu
  • Tanveer Sangha
  • Steven Smith
  • Naomi Stalenberg
  • Mitchell Starc
  • Adam Zampa

Other graduates of the program include former England Test opening batsman, Sam Robson, South Australian batsman Tom Cooper and former Blues paceman Timm Van der Gugten, who both represented the Netherlands at International level.

Official Partners

CNSW acknowledges and pays respect to the land and waters across New South Wales, on which we are privileged to live, work, and play our great game of cricket. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have walked upon and cared for this land for thousands of years.

We acknowledge their ongoing connection to this country as the Traditional Owners and we commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation, so that together we may bring about equity and equality, built on strong and trusting relationships.