Futures Awards 2025 finalists announced

The PCA Futures Awards, in association with Lodders, is celebrating the 13^th edition of the personal development initiative with seven PCA members aiming to win accolades.

Finalists were whittled down from a shortlist that included the most proactive past and present players who have engaged in activities beyond the field in the past 12 months. The competitive process has seen a cross-section of the PCA membership reach the final, encompassing current men’s and women’s players as well as applicants from previous years and one finalist from 2022.

Competing across the three categories are Fi Morris (Lancashire) and Chad Barrett (Former Northamptonshire) in the Business Impact category. Jack Leaning (Sussex) and Naomi Dattani (Hampshire) are named as finalists in the Community Spirit category with Kelly Castle (Essex) and a joint application from Keith Barker (Warwickshire) and Chris Wright (Former Leicestershire) in the Lifelong Learning category.

We are supporting the Awards for the fifth consecutive year and we will be hosting them in our Birmingham office on Tuesday 25 November.

Building on the success of last year, finalists will attend the whole day, starting with a presentation from each candidate in front of their fellow participants and the combined judging panel comprising PCA and Lodders’ managing partner, Paul Mourton before answering questions from the audience.

The second and potentially decisive section of the day will include breakout sessions, involving a Q&A with the judging panel and a career coaching discussion with Lodders staff.

Lodders will present the Overall Winner with a trophy at the culmination of the finals day, along with a record cash prize of £5,000, as well as £2,500 to the two category winners.

Finalists will be looking to emulate the success of Marie Kelly who won the Overall and Business Impact award in 2024. The Blaze batter impressed the judges with her Versatail cap brand for women to claim the main prize. The 29-year-old recently built upon her success and won the prestigious University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) Sports Entrepreneur Competition and a further £50,000 towards her business, Versatail.

Below is a brief summary of how each of this year’s PCA Futures Awards finalists has excelled with their personal development:

Business Impact:

Fi Morris (Lancashire)

Having previously been a finalist in 2022 for her business, The Throwing Academy, Fi Morris returns with a business venture called ProSkn, which claims to be the first and only probiotic sports skincare brand in the world. The 31-year-old had previously struggled with acne brought on by sweaty helmets, bacteria at the gym and days in the sun, and now she wants to help others with their skincare and exploit a gap in the market.

Chad Barrett (Former Northamptonshire)

Balancing three projects in the last year, Barrett has experienced the most intensive growth period of his career. The 36-year-old applied for the Awards in 2024 and has since been developing and scaling up his business PlayUp – a fast-growing technological company where he leads on product strategy, financial planning and investor relations. Barrett has also been developing his one-to-one coaching to help self-fund PlayUp alongside completing two major developments in property that have advanced his project management and financial planning skills.

Community Sprit:

Jack Leaning (Sussex)

Leaning has spent the last year shadowing the commercial department at Kent, gaining knowledge of off-field activities at a professional club. The 32-year-old all-rounder secured sponsorship for the club’s pre-season tour to India, as well as agreeing a deal for the club’s main front of shirt sponsor for the County Championship season. Leaning also organised a Kent Cricket corporate golf day at Princes Golf Club for over 100 people which raised £9,000, including £1,200 to Iggy’s Fund – a brain tumour charity close to the player’s heart.

Naomi Dattani (Hampshire)

Having struggled with injuries in 2025, Dattani has been exploring her vision for her company, The Complete Athlete – a community helping young athletes reach their next level through one-to-one coaching, mentoring and strength and conditioning (S&C) guidance. The 31-year-old has delivered S&C workshops on injury prevention, running mechanics and confidence building in Australia, alongside mentoring five young athletes through mindset challenges, goal-setting and visualisation. Dattani wants to grow The Complete Athlete and is developing her leadership skills on the Learn Lead Grow programme with FEED Consulting.

Lifelong Learning:

Kelly Castle (Essex)

In the last 12 months, Castle has undertaken her second MSc in Psychology and Mental Health and Wellbeing, which has deepened her understanding of the processes involved in being a professional cricketer. Having also applied to the Awards last year, the 28-year-old has also developed Kelly Castle Coaching, specialising in one-to-one and group sessions. The business is dedicated to developing players’ technical skills, mindset, and confidence through utilising her skills as a professional cricketer. Kelly Castle Coaching will launch in Easter 2026.

Keith Barker (Warwickshire) and Chris Wright (Former Leicestershire)

In a first for the Awards, veteran bowlers Barker and Wright have submitted a joint application following the success of their podcast – The Bowlers Union. Going from complete novices in the podcast and social media game, they had to learn everything from video and sound editing to content creation from scratch. Recently retired Wright, aged 40, and 39-year-old Barker, who has moved to Warwickshire for 2026, have both had to overcome lengthy bans on the field as part of their journey.

The PCA Futures Awards, in association with Lodders, celebrates personal development from the PCA membership past and present. The winners from each category and an Overall Winner will be announced on Tuesday 25 November.