Tributes paid to father who died playing cricket
TRIBUTES have been paid to a dad and “true gentleman” who died while playing cricket for his local team.
Maqsood Anwar, 44, from Barry was playing for Sully Centurions against Monkswood Cricket Club at their home pitch on Saturday when he was taken ill on the pitch.
It is thought dad-ofthree Mr Anwar, who had diabetes, had a heart attack during the match on one of the hottest days of the summer. Friends and players have been paying tribute to the gas engineer.
Friend and fellow cricketer Zia Gehlan said the air ambulance and paramedics arrived at the field but despite more than 45 minutes of treatment Mr Anwar was una
ble to be revived. Players have now been calling for defibrillators on grassroots sports grounds.
Mr Gehlan said Mr Anwar was playing his third game for Sully, having recently transferred teams, when he began feeling ill. He said that he had a chest pain and felt dizzy but put it down to the heat.
Mr Gehlan said that his friend also had a tingling feeling in his arm but was unaware this could be linked to heart problems.
Mr Anwar resisted calling an ambulance, thinking he was suffering from heatstroke. However, after bowling eight overs the dad went to sit on the sidelines where fellow players urged him to call an ambulance.
“The emergency services really did give it their best shot, they were working on him for 45 minutes to an hour,” said Mr Gehlan. “In the end they said it would have been a massive heart attack and he was likely gone before he hit the floor.
“If only he had known the signs or what was happening to him, he might still be with us.”