London, Sep 4 (IANS): Australian cricket legend and Rajasthan Royals' brand ambassador Shane Warne has outlined the franchise's long-term business plans in the United Kingdom along with the franchise's lead owner Manoj Badale at a networking panel-event at the Kia Oval.
The pair participated in a Q&A session hosted by sports presenter Rishi Persad to discuss their plans. Rajasthan Royals have a strong presence in the UK, primarily thanks to the team's British owner Manoj Badale and their growing contingent of English cricket stars including Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.
In March 2019, the Royals became the first IPL team to launch a UK-based academy at Reed's School in Surrey, illustrating their commitment to growing their presence in the region and developing cricket talent in the country. Members of the newly branded Rajasthan Royals Academy in the UK will receive the opportunity to exchange places with their counterparts at the Royals Colts (boys) and Royal Sparks (girls) academies in India.
The event at the Kia Oval was attended by former England rugby player Andy Goode and Sports Minister Nigel Adams.
Speaking at the event, Warne said: "Business and sport are intertwined and at a time when so many are talking about the future of cricket, the Rajasthan Royals continue to demonstrate that they are ahead of the curve. We are one of the most popular franchises around the world due in part to our emphasis on identifying and developing young talent, for example with the UK academy in Surrey. We have big plans in the UK, Australia and America, all over the world, so we are certainly going places."
Jake Lush McCrum, Chief Operating Officer at Rajasthan Royals, said: "It is very motivating to discuss our long-term UK plans with key business leaders. We have demonstrated our emphasis on developing talent through the UK academy, and now we plan to expand our presence further. With players including Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Liam Livingstone, we already have sensational UK cricketing talent. Now we are looking forward to giving more opportunities to UK Royals fans to engage with the franchise."