Siddique’s new job so character building

FORMER Derbyshire batsman Hamza Siddique will be hitting your television screens today after landing a role in Doctors.

Siddique, 25, spent two years on Derbyshire’s staff and played three first-class matches for Cardiff MCCU.

He graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London last year with a Masters degree in acting, with his course part-funded by the PCA. He will appear in three episodes of the daytime BBC drama, with the first one shown this afternoon.

Siddique said: “I am playing a character called Zaroon Hanif who is the brother-in-law of Rhuma Hanif, one of the main cast members who is played by Bharti Patel.

“I landed the role through an auditioning process done at the BBC Elstree Studios. Filming took place over a couple of weeks in and around Birmingham which is where the Doctors headquarters is based.

“Although it’s not a major role it’s certainly a start and the BBC credit always looks good on a CV. In and around Doctors I’ve also done several short films and a few small theatrical pieces which is building up my experience and my CV nicely, hopefully leading to more and more opportunities.”

Siddique is not the first cricketer to venture into acting. C. Aubrey Smith, the Sussex and England fast bowler, had a long film career and established the Hollywood Cricket Club when he settled in Los Angeles.

Len Hutton, Denis Compton, Alec Bedser, Godfrey Evans, Jim Laker and Cyril Washbrook appeared in the 1953 film The Final Test alongside Jack Warner and Robert Morley.