UK's first pro cricketer to wear hijab has moving message for sporty kids
Britain's first hijab-wearing Muslim female to play international cricket has today stressed "you can do whatever you want" while still proudly displaying your heritage and beliefs.
Speaking in the build-up to South Asian Heritage Month, Abtaha Maqsood, 24, has told Mirror of her experiences growing up as the daughter of two immigrants from Pakistan and how proud she is of her roots.
The right-arm leg break bowler, who has played for Scotland since she was just 17, is reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story, to be aired tomorrow evening, and will become only the third cricketer to do so. She will read Not Now, Noor! by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani, which marks South Asian Heritage Month, and is about a girl who is curious to find out why the women in her family wear headscarves.
Abtaha is in action for Birmingham Phoenix during The Hundred match against Northern Superchargers (ECB via Getty Images)Speaking to Mirror, Abtaha said: "I chose the story to read out of a choice. I decided I really enjoyed this one and it was my favourite, just because it was such a simple and honest, and nice way of describing what it is like to actually wear the hijab and what it means to a lot of Muslim women out there.
"It is just really good for children to get a simple answer - it does it really well and in an entertaining way, so that was a book that really jumped out at me.
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"It's about this little Noor, and a lot of her female family members wear headscarves and she's quite young, so she doesn't understand why they wear it and basically goes around all these family members, asking them 'why are you wearing a hijab? What's the reason behind it?' Eventually she gets to her mum who tells her a really good answer in the end. So it shows why the hijab is so important to a lot of Muslim women.
"It's all about modesty and have a clear identity that you are a Muslim, and proud to be a Muslim. It's a really nice, sweet message for children."
Muslim women typically wear hijabs - the headscarf, wrapped around the head and neck, which covers the hair, neck, and ears - to express their faith and modesty.
The cricketer will join a list of A-listers when she reads the story as the likes of Tom Hardy and Dolly Parton have had the gig in the past (England and Wales Cricket Board)The book, written by Ms Islam, who is also a primary school teacher in Birmingham, was released in March this year, just weeks before Eid al-Fitr, one of two official holidays celebrated within Islam.
And Abtaha's says it reflects experiences she's seen in Islam, as she wore a hijab from a young age - and became the first woman to wear one while taking part in The Hundred in 2021. The Hundred is a quicker-paced form of the sport, designed to make it easier to follow and enjoy.
Abtaha, who is studying to become a dentist, is also the first ever British female with Pakistani heritage to play cricket at an international level for Scotland.
Abtaha walks out in front of a huge crowd at Edgbaston, the home of Birmingham Phoenix (ECB via Getty Images)
Abtaha wants to become a role model and empower young people (Getty Images)"I have children and adults, as well, come up to me and ask why I wear the hijab," the cricketer, who plays for Birmingham Phoenix, continued.
"It's a lot of questions that naturally come out when you are younger, because it is quite an abnormal thing to see, especially in the Western World. When I was younger, I asked my mum quite a few questions and she was really good at answering them.
"It was a no brainer to wear the hijab playing cricket. It wasn't hindering me and I kept going with it. It's about modesty and having a real sense of identity, to show people I am who I am and I am proud to be Muslim. I think that's really important. I think by playing cricket with my hijab in big stadiums like Edgbaston (where Birmingham Phoenix play) it's a such an important message to say to people that 'it doesn't matter what you wear, what you look like, you can still do whatever you want. You can play in big stadiums and live your dream, or do anything else that you want.'
"When I was younger, I never really had a role model who could see wearing a hijab and playing professional sport at a high level, who I could look up to and say 'I want to be that person'. I just hope that I can do that a little bit, and inspire other people that anything is possible. You can be Muslim and be a cricketer, or a footballer, or whatever."
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Abtaha has been passionate about cricket since her dad, an immigrant from Pakistan, shared his love for the game (Getty Images)Birmingham Phoenix designed and had made a sporting hijab for Abtaha to ensure she was comfortable wearing the garment during games.
Abtaha, a flag bearer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow when she was just 15, was born in the city to two immigrants from Pakistan. With South Asian Heritage Month about to start on Tuesday July 18, Abtaha has reflected on her upbringing and how it has shaped her now.
Her dad set up his own takeaway business in Stirling, Scotland, after arriving in the mid 1990s. Abtaha's mum has been a self-employed interpreter, often assisting the NHS, in the same timeframe.
The Hundred, a quicker-paced form of cricket, was introduced only two years ago (ECB via Getty Images)"My parents worked really hard when they came over here to give us the life that they have given us and that's inspiring, and something like that should really be celebrated. It means quite a lot to me," Abtaha said.
"My dad, being from Pakistan, likes cricket and it is like in your blood to love cricket. He taught me and my brothers so much of the basics when we used to play in the garden when I was younger. That's how it all started."
Not Now, Noor! has been widely praised since its release this year (Press Association Images)CBeebies Bedtime Story is typically the last programme played on the CBeebies channel every day at 6.50pm. It is always read by a celebrity guest star and so, on Friday evening, Abtaha will join a host of A-listers who've helped soothe millions of tired tots.
These celebs include Tom Hardy, Dolly Parton, Simon Pegg and even Kate Middleton, who in February 2022, urged children to confront their fears as she read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson.
Abtaha's read will be broadcast on Friday at 6.50pm on the Cbeebies channel and BBC iPlayer.
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