Q&A with founder Sammey Ahmed, as he talks about his ambitions to grow the game of cricket in the deaf and hard of hearing community
Since 2020, WCB staff have been providing advice and support to a new cricket team founded for young deaf and hard of hearing cricketers in Birmingham. Officially known as England Cricket Association for the Deaf (Midlands), ECAD Midlands owes its formation to Sammey Ahmed. Sammey, who is deaf and communicates in British Sign Language, works at Deaf World (a charity and young people’s service to support deaf and hard of hearing young people in Birmingham). A keen cricketer himself, Sammey couldn’t see any opportunities for deaf cricketers and suggested to colleagues at Deaf World that a cricket team would complement the many other services provided by the charity, such as driving lessons, self-defence classes and educational visits in the UK and abroad.
Ashalam Qureshi is the Development Manager at Deaf World and says, “Sammey has been the driving force behind this project. He is an excellent role model to other deaf and hard of hearing young people. ECAD Midlands is Sammey’s initiative, and we are supporting him in his ambition to grow the game of cricket in the deaf community. Sammey has come through the Deaf World programme of activities, first as a user of our services when he was younger and more recently by working at the charity. We are a young people’s charity, and it is important for us to be led by young people as an organisation.”
To find out more about ECAD Midlands - its journey to formation, plans for the future and the working relationship with the WCB - we met Sammey Ahmed for a Q&A session. The Q&A session was held a few weeks before a players’ meeting on 4th December 2021 to which anyone wishing to join or find out more about ECAD Midlands is most welcome to attend.
Hi Sammey, can you tell us more about your journey in cricket and how you came to establish ECAD Midlands?
I adore cricket and have done since I was young. My two brothers are also deaf and I have fond memories of us all playing cricket together when we were children. I am an all-rounder – I bowl spin and I’m an opening batter. My highest score in the 12 games I played in this season was 41, with a total of 247 runs over the season. I was also voted Best Bowler of the season at our recent AGM and I’m very proud of the invitation I received to train with the England Deaf Cricket team.
The idea of setting up a cricket team for deaf people was mine. I couldn’t see any structure or opportunity for myself and other deaf cricketers to play cricket and enjoy the benefits of participating in the game we love - being physically active, making new friends and gaining confidence. The first step in setting up ECAD Midlands came in 2019 when I met with Darren Talbot, the CEO of ECAD nationally. Darren was very supportive. He helped register ECAD Midlands and set up fixtures. My responsibilities then included purchasing equipment, finding a venue, arranging net sessions – and, of course, recruiting some players!
Unfortunately, in 2020 our plans were put on hold by the pandemic. When the first lockdown ended, we only played three friendly fixtures and in a T20 tournament between ECAD North, South and Midlands in August. In 2021, however, ECAD Midlands played 16 friendly fixtures against teams which included the Warwickshire Access Team, the West Midlands Police, the Birmingham Unicorns, Griff & Coton CC, Knowle & Dorridge CC and Bedworth CC. We won 50% of our 2021 fixtures. It is great to see deaf and hard of hearing people in the Midlands have the opportunity to play cricket.
How did you recruit the ECAD team?
To begin with, I asked the friends I was playing with in Perry Barr Park if they would be interested in joining a team. After that, I took to social media and used Instagram and Facebook to spread the word. I also approached schools, colleges and deaf organisations directly. So, it’s really been a combination of friendship group, social media and approaching other organisations.
What does the future hold for ECAD Midlands?
We are ready to grow – both on and off the pitch. The infrastructure is in place and ECAD Midlands has a constitution and a committee, voted by the players. There is a bank account set up to process match fees, payment of officials and for the purchase of equipment.
On the pitch, our objective is to join a hearing league and play competitive fixtures in 2023. In order to do so we will need a home ground and training facilities. In particular, we need somewhere we can use for a regular high quality net session. Our current facility is not big enough to undertake proper fielding drills and the roof is too low. This is one of the issues we have been discussing with Andy Wyles and Richard Evans from the WCB.
I really want to see more people get involved in ECAD Midlands and for us to grow sufficiently to achieve our ambition of playing competitively in 2023. Andy Wyles has suggested the Arden League would be the appropriate league for us. I am hoping that the players’ meeting on 4th December will be an important step in that process. The meeting is for existing and new players, and anyone who just wants to find out more information. If we can prepare for the 2022 season of friendly fixtures and organise some professional coaching, then that will give us a good platform to build on for 2023 and get our skills up to the level required for league cricket. If anyone is interested in attending the meeting on 4th December, you will be made very welcome and can find out more details on the ECAD Midlands Facebook or Instagram pages.
What about your own personal ambitions for the future?
It is my ambition to play for the England Deaf Cricket team. I am hoping that success with ECAD Midlands will enable that ambition to be realised. I want to continue working in the deaf community and in cricket, so I am hoping to have the opportunity to take my coaching badges and coach cricket to deaf people in the future. This was something Darren Talbot recommended to me, based on my abilities. It is my ambition to grow the game of cricket in the deaf and hard of hearing community.
What is the importance of your relationship with the Warwickshire Cricket Board?
Our partnership with the WCB is important in order for us to progress our plans and realise our ambition in 2023 of playing in a competitive hearing league. Without this partnership we wouldn’t be able to progress and grow. Andy Wyles and Richard Evans have been advising us about coaching, facilities and possible sources of funding.
Can you tell us more about the work of Deaf World and how ECAD Midlands fits in with it?
Deaf World is a West Midlands charity, established in 2009, working with deaf and hard of hearing young people between the ages of 11 and 25. Their aim is of offer projects that encourage young people to get involved and develop socially, personally and educationally - by ending isolation, improving mental health and providing new skills. Other Deaf World projects include the Life Skills Driver Training Programme, which gives young deaf people greater independence. Developing the driving programme and supporting the ECAD Midlands cricket project will be core to the ongoing plans and aims of Deaf World.
Deaf World has also established a Steering Group, which plans for the future. Based on the feedback and involvement of young people who use Deaf World’s services, the group develops and shares its vision for the future, ensuring it is a young people led organisation. My own journey reflects this too. I started out as a user of Deaf World services, then as a volunteer, and now I work for the organisation and have enjoyed the support of the charity when setting up ECAD Midlands.
At a recent ECAD Midlands’ weekend training session, team coach and ECAD CEO Darren Talbot was impressed with the progress the ECAD Midlands team has made. “When I first started coaching this team they were one of the weakest regional ECAD groups. They have always been a good bowling outfit but their batting was a problem historically. They have now found a couple of players who can bat well and have scored some 50s and a century. Sammy himself is so keen and a super cricketer. Hopefully he will be selected by the ECAD England Cricket team at some stage soon.”
“The other significant point about this group,” continued Darren, “Is that none of them also play for a hearing team. They only play cricket as part of this group, compared to the ECAD North and South teams (where most of their players play for hearing clubs too). The fact that they only play for this team makes having regular fixtures becomes even more important, and these players have benefitted from having those regular fixtures this year. The potential is enormous for this team. There are challenges ahead too, for example this group are all signers so one challenge would be how to include players with a cochlear implant. As I said, all challenges to embrace as the game grows.”
WCB Participation and Growth Manager Andy Wyles is impressed with Sammey Ahmed’s achievements so far. “Sammey has to be admired for his hard work and determination in setting up ECAD Midlands in challenging circumstances through the pandemic. For us at WCB, one of our main priorities is to make cricket more inclusive in Warwickshire and Birmingham. We are therefore delighted to have been able to support and advise Sammey and ECAD Midlands on their journey so far. We will continue to do so as they set about realising their ambition to play competitive cricket in 2023.”
For more information about ECAD Midlands and the players’ meeting for new and existing players on 4th December 2021 please visit the ECAD Midlands Facebook and Instagram pages.
