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‘I am proud of my achievements: Saba Nasim

Saba Nasim, who is a lawyer by profession has been awarded the British empire medal in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for services to cricket and training young people in London. In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian she gave her insights on her achievements and her experience in training young girls. Excerpts […]

Saba Nasim, who is a lawyer by profession has been awarded the British empire medal in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for services to cricket and training young people in London. In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian she gave her insights on her achievements and her experience in training young girls. Excerpts

Q. How difficult or easy is it for an Asian face to break into mainstream cricket as you have achieved?

A. I think definitely playing is much easier and that’s how I started about I think 13 years ago. When I was just leaving university, I wanted to play the sport, I played a lot in secondary school. So we used to play cricket quite a lot, so I wanted to get back after a break of four or five years because of my studies and doing a degree in university. I thought I want to get back into this sport, so then I went around looking for local cricket clubs and there weren’t many female cricket clubs. But luckily I came across a club which was only 10 minutes away from my house, a state cricket club, and they luckily just had set up a new women’s team two years ago before I started so in 2007. So in 2009, I joined in and then a few years later one of the coaches said to me why don’t you also do the level two coaching course and you can become a coach yourself, as well and you can go out and teach girls. I said that would be great because I was already volunteering my time at the club teaching the youngsters, so I did my course, I passed it in 2013. And then from then on it just went a little bit crazy because I was apparently the only female coach in that area and all the schools and youth clubs wanted female coaches. So then I went around and then slowly but surely ended up coaching thousands of girls.

Q. Saba please explain your Red Bridge project to our fans.

A. The Redbridge project started off when I was coaching in schools and then the girls in the schools would ask, is there a club I can join after school or in the weekend. And then I thought let’s make a project which is accessible for the girls within the East London area. Then we hired out the leisure centre and luckily they had an outdoor space which was a basketball court actually it wasn’t a cricket pitch, and we asked them if we do cricket sessions there, and then they luckily gave that to us. So then that’s how I moved the girls from coaching in the schools into the youth project in the Red Bridge Project.

Q. How satisfying does it feel when you train young girls and create a brigade to fight on the grounds to win trophies for the country how does it feel?

A. It feels really good to give back to the community from a young age.

Even with my family, there was always an element of charitable giving and doing things for the community. Not necessarily for a financial reward so it was always in me to do that so it was nice that I could teach them the sport that I love to play as well. And see the happiness on their face when they take a wicket or when they hit a four or when the group gets together on the pitch to celebrate a wicket. That team spirit, that spirit of cricket that is there, it is really nice to see.

Q. Share your first feeling when you heard the news of receiving the British Empire Medal and also getting invited to the Royal Garden party held at Buckingham palace in the summer did you get the goosebumps?

A. I think, I got a letter through the post and my mom opened it and she said it has got some royal stamp on it. So I said to just open it, I was at work at that time and I think she opened it and she said that I have got some medal or an award and I asked to send me a picture quickly. And then I read it, somebody had nominated me for this award. I didn’t start the coaching because of that I just did it because I enjoy doing what I do and then somebody saw me in the community and nominated me for this award. Gathered all the information somehow from internet articles and stuff and nominated me. So it was really great to receive that award and to know that, I had been invited to Buckingham palace to have tea with the queen.

Q. Saba, you have been a successful women’s coach and like in tennis it’s happening that women are training men. Do you see any women cricket coaches training the male cricketers anytime soon?

A. I think at the club level it is happening now but it is yet to happen at the international level. But I think slowly but surely the more you know women’s cricket is getting exposure, the better it will be for women’s cricket. I think just recently Sue Redfern one of our umpires is now going to be the first female umpire to umpire first-class men’s matches. So it’s a step in the right direction and I think the more exposure we are getting in the last few years or so, the better it will be and then we’ll see more things in more prominent roles in international quicker especially.

Q. Will we be able to see you training male cricketers?

A. I am training under 15 boys at my club. So I have reached that level and

at the moment because my priority is women’s cricket and there are such few female coaches around at the club level. Whenever they want a female coach then I’m there, so I always give priority to that. But yeah I think in the future why not I can coach some of the male club and hopefully at the county level someday.

Q. I have a list of accolades a list of honours, a list of achievements, and what you have achieved, you were ECB coach of the year 2015. And the coach of the year at last year’s Asian cricket awards, in addition to being honoured as a point of light by Prime Minister David Cameron and nominated for a NatWest outstanding service to cricket award that is OSCA. Your room shelves will no doubt soon need reinforcing under the weight of the awards you have for your coaching work, isn’t it?

A. I know it’s just amazing since I’ve got one award then people nominate me for more awards. And then my family asks how many more awards are you going to win, I said it’s not my fault, I’m winning all of them. But they’re very proud of me and I’m proud of the achievements and especially what I’m doing for women and girls cricket here in England.

Q. Let’s talk about women’s cricket. Is the success of cricket 100 in England, are we just a step away from IPL-type leagues.

A. I think it was quiet, very sceptical at the start. But I think having been to the final and been to a few matches at lords and the oval there. I think it’s been successful. It really attracted the family aspect, people coming with their children, with their moms and dads and having a good time. So I think the 100 is probably going to be here to stay for quite a long while now.

Q. Who is your favourite team and which country’s team do you like to cheer for always?

A. In the women’s I follow the England women very closely, along with the Australian women because they are the best in the world at the moment. And then in the men’s, I follow England of course and then Pakistan, India. And I would love to see more Pakistan- India matches if circumstances allow. I think they’re great for cricket in general.

Q. You have been a cricketer you have been a coach what when can we see you behind the mic?

A. At the moment I think I’ve done a few commentaries in club matches but I think the more experienced I get, maybe you will see me one day behind the mic.

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