Teenage Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed capped a memorable month by picking up the Young Player award at the 2016 Asian Cricket Awards (ACA) at The Kia Oval on Friday evening (September 23).
Hameed, 19, was last week called up to the England Test squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh. If he plays, he will become the youngest player to represent the country since Brian Close turned out against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1949.
“It’s great to be picked for England. It’s surreal, it moved really quickly,” Hameed said after picking up his award. “I’d never have dreamed about being picked 12 months ago. Alistair Cook has been in touch to say congratulations, but I’m really looking forward to meeting and working with the team. I have to make sure I don’t change my game, and I have to make sure I do it my way.
“This is the second time I’ve won the [ACA young player] award. I got confidence from winning last year and it’s a very nice feeling. I have to take everything in my stride and stay balanced. At this age it can only be about upbringing, so it’s a credit to my parents.
“With the recognition comes responsibility; I have to act as a role model, make sure I don’t change as a person and be my own man.”
England and Yorkshire leg spinner Adil Rashid was named Player of the Year at the awards, which are sponsored by Talk Home Mobile and supported by the Club Cricket Conference and the ECB. They aim to improve awareness of the positive impact made by Asians in the British cricket industry.
Rashid’s success prevented his international team-mate Moeen Ali from making it a hat-trick of ACA wins. The Worcestershire all-rounder had picked up the prestigious award in 2014 and 2015.
A regular in England’s ODI team – helping the country to the final of the T20 World Cup in India earlier this year – Rashid earned a recall to the Test side and played his part in this summer’s series triumph over Pakistan.
Asian Cricket Awards co-founder Baljit Rihal, of Inventive Sports, said: “It was with overwhelming joy that I recently witnessed four British Asians named in the Test squad to tour Bangladesh. Congratulations to Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Zafar Ansari and Haseeb Hameed – who stands to potentially join a select list of England’s youngest Test debutants.
“2016 has been a tremendous year for Asians in cricket, and one I believe marks a significant chapter in the progression towards greater inclusion and diversity in this country.
“We are grateful to Talk Home Mobile, our headline sponsor, who have shown great support and belief in championing these awards for the third consecutive year.”
Awards co-founder Jas Jassal BEM said: “The Asian Cricket Awards have provided a platform to recognise South Asian achievement in British cricket. We are proud to see this year’s young player award winner, Haseeb Hameed, has been selected to represent England in the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. He is truly an inspirational role model to many young Asians wanting to follow in his footsteps.”
Elsewhere, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was honoured with a Special Recognition Award by ACA founders Inventive Sports.
Sangakarra scored more than 28,000 Test runs during his long and successful career and is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest batsmen.
“It’s a great privilege and pleasure to be presented with this award,” he said. “The Asian community in England and at large have been wonderful icons and a great inspiration.”
Full List of Winners:
BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD (sponsored by Greenleaf)
Winner: Amna Rafiq (Leicestershire CCC)
Also nominated: Kunwar Bansil (lead physiotherapist, Yorkshire CCC), Sanjay Patel (commercial director, England & Wales Cricket Board)
GRASSROOTS AWARD (sponsored by England & Wales Cricket Board)
Winner: Shahidul Alam Ratan (Director of Cricket at Capital Kids, London Tigers CC)
Also nominated: Mantrulaady Thusharaah (British Tamil Cricket League), Nasa Hussain (Community Groundsman, Yorkshire)
AMATEUR COACH AWARD (sponsored by Chance to Shine)
Winner: Shaz Khan (Oxfordshire CCC, Shrivenham CC)
Also nominated: Minesh Patel (Eastcote CC, Hillingdon Borough CC, Middlesex North), Khalid Zafar (Berkshire CCC, Reading CC, Chance to Shine)
CLUB CRICKET CONFERENCE INSPIRATION AWARD
Winner: Maryam Ali (community cricket coach in Yorkshire)
MEDIA AWARD (sponsored by BBC Asian Network)
Winner: Vithushan Ehantharajah (freelance cricket writer)
Also nominated: Kalika Mehta (BBC Sport Online), Sahil Dutta (freelance cricket writer)
POSTHUMOUS AWARD
Winner: Hamza Shabbir (Hampshire CCC, Downend CC)
PROFESSIONAL YOUNG PLAYER AWARD (sponsored by Zee TV)
Winner: Haseeb Hameed (Lanchashire CCC)
Also nominated: Aadil Ali (Leicestershire CCC), Kishen Velani (Essex CCC)
WOMAN IN CRICKET AWARD (sponsored by Premia Wines)
Joint winners: Nalisha Patel (Lancashire Thunder) and Shabnim Ismail (Yorkshire Diamonds)
Also nominated: Raveena Lakhtaria (Surrey Stars)
FOUNDERS SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD (sponsored by Inventive Sports)
Winner: Kumar Sangakkara (former Sri Lanka captain)
PROFESSIONAL COACH AWARD (sponsored by The Cricketer)
Winner: Cookie Patel (Regional Training Manager, ECB)
Also nominated: Min Patel (Kent CCC), Kadeer Ali (Performance Coach, Warwickshire CCC)
ASIAN CRICKET CLUB AWARD (sponsored by Surrey CCC and The Kia Oval)
Winner: Indian Gymkhana CC (West London)
Also nominated: Mount CC (Batley, West Yorkshire), British Tamil Cricket League
PROFESSIONAL PLAYER AWARD (sponsored by Talk Home Mobile)
Winner: Adil Rashid (Yorkshire CCC and England)
Also nominated: Moeen Ali (Worcestershire CCC and England)
For more information or photography from the event, please contact: aca@eventnewsservice.com
