A self-confessed cricket tragic, Ellis is hoping to share his passion for the game and not only get the region’s children to start playing cricket, but also promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

“This a very exciting role for me as I’ve always wanted to do something in cricket,” he said.

“As a kid I wanted to be a professional cricketer but unfortunately there’s a skill level required for that.”

Ellis will be kept busy attending the region’s schools and promoting the game while next Thursday he will host NSW cricketers Gurinder Sandhu and Will Somerville as they tour the region as part of the Cricket NSW Country Blitz.

“I think it’s a great time to be involved in cricket,” he added.

“The participation numbers came out this week and there were record numbers of people playing and the product is a great one in terms of what cricket has to offer so it’s about attracting people to give them that positive experience.”

The success of the Big Bash League has put cricket in front of a lot of new people and Ellis, who plays for CYMS and has also captained the Dubbo Brewery Shield side for the past two seasons, said it is up to he and Cricket NSW to build off that.

“Anyone who has been around me for more than five minutes knows I leave and breathe cricket and I’ve gained so much personal satisfaction from the game I want to help give others the same opportunities,” he said.