Asian boys receive ECB cricket scholarships
IN A two-year pilot programme, six British Asian boys have been awarded cricket scholarships to boarding schools as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) South Asian Plan.
The boys were picked by the National Asian Cricket Council, according to the Telegraph, and are being funded by Royal SpringBoard in partnership with Repton and Woodhouse Grove.
The paper spoke to Adam Hussain and Awais Khan, who are part of the programme. Adam plays for Lancashire under-12s, Awais for Yorkshire under13s. Both said it was “a great opportunity” that enhances their prospects in other professions if they do not go on to become professional cricketers.
Adam, a batsman who also bowls leg breaks, put on his pads to bat in the Park Avenue nets, which is open to the local community for free as part of the Yorkshire Foundation.
Adam’s father, Arshad, said he was a relieved man since he no longer had to give throw downs or bowl at his son because Awais was now available to bowl to Adam.
“All the cricket clubs are locked up during the week except on the two training nights. There would be nowhere for Adam to bat if he hadn’t got this scholarship,” Arshad was quoted as saying.
Like England opener Haseeb Hameed, Adam learned his batting in his front room and Arshad said he “broke a lot of light bulbs”. But the boy’s cricket would have ended if the scholarship to Woodhouse Grove had not happened.
On the other hand, Awais is not a traditional legspinner who would flight the ball. Rather, the teenager has a slider, which he learned from England spinner Adil Rashid, when he had once come to practise at Park Avenue. He too has joined Bingley, Rashid’s club.