A pilot scheme funded by the Test and County Cricket Board, costing counties #3,000 each, will start this month at the Bradford University's management centre.
The curriculum has been designed to develop management and coaching skills of players who have hitherto drifted into coaching as a means of prolonging their careers in the game, without any specific training.
Robert McClements, programme chairman at The Management centre, said: ``Cricketers won't have to learn much about motivation and the competitive spirit, but we can help them develop skills in people management and business strategy.''
The university department has more than 60 permanent and 80 support staff normally providing programmes for, among others, 800 undergraduates and 1,500 practising business executives each year.
Micky Stewart, the TCCB's director of coaching, said he was ``absolutely delighted'' that an idea, first suggested by Ossie Wheatley when he was chairman of the Board's cricket committee, has come to fruition.
Stewart, himself former captain of Surrey and manager of England, admitted that there has been a serious lack of preparation for players developing into captains, coaches and managers.
Dav Whatmore, newly appointed as Lancashire's coach, and David Gilbert, whose apparently natural gifts as a man manager helped Surrey this year, are two examples of coaches who have benefited from similar courses in Australia.
There the schemes are funded by public money; here they will be paid for by the TCCB, at an initial cost of #54,000, covering courses for one person at each county.
David Lloyd, the England coach, and John Emburey, his assistant on this winter's tours, will be joining the course for some sessions.
Bradford list: Kim Barnett (Derbyshire), Jack Birkenshaw (Leicestershire), Alan Butcher (Essex), Geoff Cook (Durham), Nick Cook (Northamptonshire), Ian Gould (Middlesex), Andy Hayhurst (Somerset), Steve Marsh (Kent), Peter Moores (Sussex), Hugh Morris (Glamorgan), Martyn Moxon (Yorkshire), Phil Neale (Warwickshire), Phil Newport (Worcestershire), Alan Ormrod (Nottinghamshire), Tony Pigott (Surrey), John Stanworth (Lancashire), Andy Stovold (Gloucs), Tim Tremlett (Hampshire).
* The Peter May Memorial Appeal, in memory of England's greatest post-War batsman, was launched at the Oval yesterday under the chairmanship of the former Cabinet minister, Lord Prior, to provide better open-air sports facilities for Londoners of all ages.
It aims to raise #7.5 million for the London Playing Fields Society so that four grounds at Walthamstow, Morden, Hainault and Raynes Park, all in serious need of refurbishment, can have improved facilities for a variety of sports.
The Wadham Lodge ground at Walthamstow, renamed the Peter May Sports Centre, is to be the new home of the London (formerly Haringay) Cricket College.
Lord Prior said: ``This will be a worthy memorial to a much loved cricketer and sportsman. Peter was for nine years an active vice-chairman of the London Playing Fields Society.'' The appeal centre's telephone number is 0171-629- 7459.
* Sussex have re-appointed Alan Wells as their captain for next season.