‘Jobs should never be just about your face fitting’

WHEN, in 2004, Ajmal Shahzad became the first British-born player of South Asian heritage to play for Yorkshire, he was heralded as a trailblazer.

There are still not close to enough players – or coaches – from ethnic groups making it into first-class cricket but Shahzad hopes he can set an example again.

He wants to show that if you are determined enough to make it, your background should not matter at all.

“There aren’t enough players from the South Asian and black communities and I don’t know why that is but there is more people in those communities can do,” he said.

“You cannot be afraid of failure. If you get knocked back, go again.

“I went to numerous Yorkshire trials before I got taken on in their set-up and I applied for plenty of other coaching jobs before I got this one.

“You have to be prepared to knock on a few more doors and accept that for some people you will tick their boxes and for others you won’t. You can’t take that to heart.

“Whenever I go for a job, whenever I put myself in the shop window, I have to be sure that my CV is competitive. If you’ve not got the qualifications or the experience, you’re going to be left behind, so you put yourself in the best position you can.

“It should never be about ‘does his or her face fit?’ It should always be ‘is he or she the best person for the job?’

“Nothing should be handed to you on a plate and that’s how it should be. You can’t give somebody a job because their face fits because you still need that person to be able to do the job.”