Birmingham: Abtaha Maqsood is the first Muslim woman in the UK to wear a headscarf to participate in international cricket matches. She hopes that other young British Muslim girls who may face cultural and religious barriers will make cricket a career.

Abtaha’s parents were originally from Lahore, Pakistan. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland on June 11, 1999-on this day Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe to qualify for the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup in England and Scotland.

The 22-year-old cricket player is currently participating in the new short-form 200-ball cricket tournament “Hundreds” in England for Birmingham Phoenix. She has been at her home with her father and brothers since she was a little girl. Play cricket in the garden. .

Abtaha was only 11 years old when he joined the local cricket club “Poloc”. Only four months after joining the club, she was selected at the age of 12 to represent Scotland’s under-17 team against Ireland in the T20 Championship.

say Geographic TV At the Edgbaston Cricket Stadium in Birmingham, Abtaha said that the inspiration behind playing cricket came from her partners and brothers, adding that she had the full support of her family to make the sport a career .

Throughout the journey, Abu Taha called her father her biggest supporter.

“My father and my mother are both cricket lovers. But my father especially said that all sports are important,” she said.

In addition to playing cricket, Abtaha Maqsood also has a black belt in Taekwondo, which she obtained at the age of 11. She also participated in the British and Scottish Taekwondo Championships.

The young cricketer said that she never thought about choosing cricket as a career path. But so far, the experience of playing cricket has been amazing for her.

Speaking of her choice to wear a headscarf, Abu Taha said that when she was 11 years old, she saw her mother do the same. However, she emphasized that her decision to wear one was entirely voluntary. The cricketer said that her parents even let her choose not to wear it because she was still very young, but she insisted.

“Wearing a headscarf is my own choice. When I was 11 years old, I went out to perform Umrah with my family. On the way back to England, I saw my mother start wearing a headscarf. So I asked her why she was wearing that and she told me [how it was a religious obligation], So I decided to wear one too,” Abtaha said.

“It was really important to me at the time, just like now, I will continue to wear it,” she added.

In terms of education, Abtaha is a third-year student at the University of Glasgow and she is studying for a degree in dentistry. She said that currently, she manages her time between studying and playing international cricket for Scotland and the Centurions because she likes dentistry and cricket.

She said: “It’s very difficult for me at the moment, but I’m trying to divide my percentage between the two.”

In response to a question about whether people should talk more about her cricket skills rather than what she chooses to wear, Abtaha said that she thinks it’s equally important to talk about her headscarf because its representation is important.

“This is the first time people have actually seen a woman wearing a headscarf and playing cricket at the highest level, so I think it’s still important to be talked about,” she said.

“When I was growing up, I never really had a role model like me. I think that will really help me and give me a sense of belonging. So, I hope I can become the young girl now”, she Added.

She told Geographic TV Although she has never encountered any cultural obstacles herself, she knows that other young Muslim girls will encounter obstacles. Therefore, she wants to be a source of inspiration for these girls.

“I really want people to realize that playing cricket and wearing a headscarf is possible when they see me. If young girls really want to play high-level cricket or any other professional sport, then some people can support young people through it. girl.”

Abtaha explained her cricket skills. She said that although she is a leg spinner, she did not start her cricket journey with that profession.

“I used to be a seam pitcher when I was a kid,” she revealed, adding that it was her father who discovered that she could be a better spinner than a seamler.

Recalling that incident, she said: “One day I was playing in our front garden. I was just bowling and my dad was hitting the ball. He told me that my wrist moved naturally like a spinner. I It’s easier to spin the bowl, so I can try it. Since then, I have never looked back, I like it.”

As a leg spinner, her obvious role model is Australia’s Shane Warn, who she calls the “King of Leg Spinning” and added that she has watched all his videos on YouTube. By the way, Shane Warn is also a member of The Million, where he coaches the spirit of London.

Abtaha said that participating in the Centurion and representing the Birmingham Phoenix team in the game was the most wonderful experience in her life.

“This feeling is untrue to me,” she said enthusiastically. Recalling how she participated in the competition, Abu Taha said that she received a call confirming her participation in the competition while in college.

“I have landed on the moon! I’m very happy because I didn’t expect it at all. I was completely buzzed and shared the news with my parents, and they were obviously excited too. Now here in Edgbaston is one A surreal experience.”

Speaking of her experience in the tournament so far, Abtaha said she still can’t believe that she is playing with some of the best cricket players in the world-this is an opportunity she has never had before.

“In my team, I have players like Amy Jones from England and Shefali Verma from India. I learned a lot from them and played against some of the best cricket players in the world. I I enjoy and learn a lot of things, and I am glad to see where it goes from here,” she said.

Abtaha Maqsood has represented the Scottish national team in 17 international T20 matches and has won 23 wickets with an impressive average of 12.28 so far in her career.