The Victorian Elite Cricket League is entering its biggest season yet. In two years, VECL has grown from a single Melbourne competition into a league that spans two countries: more than 200 matches played on turf, over 30,000 runs scored and more than 500 players across Australia and India.
Now we are raising the bar again: new leadership, an international partnership with one of India’s most respected cricket academies, and a pathway that takes players from Melbourne to Bengaluru.
Andrew Walton joins as Director
We are proud to welcome Andrew Walton as Director, Victorian Elite Cricket League and Director, High Performance International Pathway (HPIP).
Andrew is a Cricket Australia Level 3 accredited coach, and one of the few Australian coaches with a working relationship inside Indian cricket that goes back more than a decade. Since 2013 he has made regular visits to the Karnataka Institute of Cricket, coaching alongside its founder Irfan Sait and his staff. He now travels to India three times a year, in April, September and December, and hosts KIOC touring groups here in Melbourne.
As Director of the HPIP, Andrew leads all cricket operations for the pathway: selection standards, curriculum, individual development plans, camp coaching, match preparation and post-tour reporting. He brings deep experience of managing international tours, from player workloads in unfamiliar conditions to the duty of care that families rightly expect when their players are overseas.
The partnership with the Karnataka Institute of Cricket
The HPIP is built in partnership with the Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC) in Bengaluru, founded by Irfan Sait. KIOC celebrated its silver jubilee in 2021 and has been developing cricketers for close to three decades. Players coached at KIOC include Robin Uthappa, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal.
KIOC is built for serious cricket: twenty covered nets across four different surfaces, bowling machines, floodlights, a gym, an in-house physiotherapist, and video and speed analysis.
The High Performance International Pathway
The HPIP gives committed players a structured route to train and play in Australia and India. Selected players travel to KIOC in December for an eight-day high-performance camp, training under KIOC’s coaching staff on their surfaces and playing opposition KIOC arranges. The squad leaves Melbourne on 13 December, stays in quality 3–4 star hotel accommodation in Bengaluru, and comes home for the VECL December tournament.
Around twenty players will be selected for the camp, which is for players aged 12 and over: boys and girls, and senior men and women.
George Shaw appointed Head Coach of the Western Falcons
George Shaw, Director of Coaching at Elite Cricket Academy, has been appointed Head Coach of the Western Falcons. George has been with the Falcons since the league’s first season in 2024, when he was named the franchise’s Head of Franchise. He now takes charge of coaching across the club’s junior squads for the December 2026 season.
More to come
Andrew and George are the first of several appointments. More high-profile coaches and partners are joining the league, and we will introduce them here over the coming weeks. Keep an eye on this page and on our channels.
Hear it first: the Player & Parent Information Session
Sunday 18 October 2026, 7:30pm Melbourne time (AEDT) · Online · Free
Andrew Walton, Dhana Murugavel, our senior coaches and our partners will take players and parents through:
- How the HPIP works across the year
- The December camp at KIOC, and what it asks of players
- The programme price, what it includes and what it does not, and the payment schedule
- Supervision, accommodation and duty of care while players are away
- The trials on 4 and 9 November, and what the selectors look for
Then it is over to you: there is time to put your questions to the coaching team directly. Register and we will email you the joining link before the night. Players are welcome to watch with their parents.
Register for the Information Session
Then show us: the HPIP trials
| Trial one | Trial two | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday 4 November 2026 | Monday 9 November 2026 |
| Venue | Junction Oval indoor centre, St Kilda | Elite Cricket Academy, 87 Elm Park Drive, Hoppers Crossing |
| Time | 7:00pm–9:00pm, arrive 6:45pm | 7:00pm–9:00pm, arrive 6:45pm |
Both trials are indoor sessions covering batting, bowling and fielding, run by Andrew Walton and our senior coaches. Come in full kit and bring water.
- Who: anyone aged 9 and over who wants to try out and join the league: boys and girls, and senior men and women. You do not need to be playing in the VECL already. (The KIOC camp itself is for players aged 12 and over.)
- Cost: $20 (inc. GST), one booking whether you attend one night or both. Choose your night when you book.
- Bookings close: Sunday 8 November.
One evening opens two doors. Every player who trials is considered for the HPIP squad and for the December junior franchises.
Can’t get to Melbourne?
Where a player lives does not decide whether they can be considered. If you are interstate or overseas and cannot reach either trial, contact us before 4 November and we will assess you another way, starting with an interview. It is the same standard, reached by a different route.
What happens after the trials
Selectors review every player, and everyone who trials is told where they stand. A trial is not a registration for the camp, and taking part does not guarantee selection.
Full details are on the try-outs page, and the programme profile sets out the pathway in full. Meet the full team on our people page.
Questions
Email info@vecl.au, or bring your questions to the Information Session on 18 October. We look forward to meeting you.