Talented Zainab sets her sights on England
TALENTED CRICKETER Zainab Patel has her sights firmly set on playing for England after excelling in her club and school teams.
The 11-year-old, who plays with Shadwell Cricket Club in Leeds, is encouraging more girls to get involved in the sport during this week’s Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week.
Zainab is bucking the trend after results of a new study released today revealed boys are far more likely to play sport outside of school hours.
Zainab, of Shadwell, said: “When I was seven, me and my dad watched the T20 together and it made me want to play, so I started playing with him and then went to my local club I didn’t have any doubt in my mind about playing cricket. 11-year-old cricketer Zainab Patel. Shadwell to ask if I could play. I didn’t have any doubt in my mind about playing cricket – I was better than all the boys!”
She now plays twice a week for her club’s junior teams and for Rossett school in Harrogate.
A poll of 2,000 youngsters aged eight to 18 found boys are far more likely than girls to play sport outside of school hours.
The poll, commissioned by Yorkshire Tea and cricket charity Chance to Shine, found just 57 per cent of girls currently play some kind of sport at a grassroots level outside of school or college, compared to 79 per cent of boys.
And while 45 per cent of young boys are part of a local sports team or club away from school, just 27 per cent of girls said the same.