Sharif hailed as an ‘inspiration’

CRICKET: Glenrothes chairman believes all-rounder is perfect role model

Safyaan Sharif will be an “inspiration” to young cricketers after his weekend heroics against England, according to the chairman of his home club.

The popular all-rounder sealed a historic sixrun victory for Scotland in Edinburgh by trapping Mark Wood lbw, catapulting the 27-year-old to national and international fame.

Sharif plays his club cricket with Glenrothes when he’s not on one-day or T20 duty with Derbyshire and Scotland, and Kenny Crichton believes the Fife game – and the Scottish game – couldn’t ask for a better role model to grow the sport.

“Saffy is an inspiration in Fife,” said the club chairman.

“That isn’t just at Glenrothes. This is his third year with us and he’s come on leaps and bounds in that time but he’s played at Largo and Falkland and is very well thought of there as well.

“He’s taken every opportunity that has come his way.

“Saffy has taken two of the biggest wickets in Scottish cricket history – the West Indies’ Chris Gayle first ball and now that wicket against England last ball.

“There will have been people watching cricket for the first time on Sunday and a lot of us never thought we would see a day like that.

“What Saffy and the rest of the team did will have made a big impression.

“Hopefully others will want to follow his lead and that this is the start of something big.”