Were they given the same opportunities as white cricketers when it came to making their way in the game? Almost certainly not.
That point about institutionalised racism in Yorkshire cricket was made forcibly recently by Bradford East MP Imran Hussain when he was unveiled as an ambassador for the Bradford Mutual Sunday School League at their recent annual dinner and prize presentation at Aagrah Midpoint in Thornbury.
And it was backed up by one of the cricketing legends from the 1980s and 1990s in the Quaid-e-Azam Cricket League’s annual dinner and prize presentation in Bradford – at the Majestyk (formerly the Mecca) on Manningham Lane.
Arif Mahmood, who played for two decades in the league with Shabab, said: “The opportunities were just not available for Asian players with talent to go any further.
“I am talking about 40 years ago and the opportunities were not fair for us. For example there was no boys’ academy for Asian players in Yorkshire.
The Quaid-e-Azam League legends, pictured at the league’s annual dinner and prize presentation, might have got more opportunities in cricket had they been born in a different era. (Image: UGC.)
“However, times have changed, which is a positive thing, but we still have a long way to go.
“Things changed in 1992 when Sachin Tendulkar – one of the best players in the world at the time – signed for Yorkshire, which caused a big move in mindset.
“It was probably about 15 years ago when things moved on again when some of the other counties signed international Asian players, and Yorkshire signed some English-born Asian players.”
Among that list were Ismail Dawood, Ajmal Shahzad, Adil Rashid, who both played for England, and Azeem Rafiq.
Manchester-based Mahmood added: “They were difficult times in the 1980s and 1990s, but the local Asian talent on display then in Yorkshire was no different to what it is now.
“Some of them were good enough to play county cricket then and some of them were good enough to play international cricket, but that is in the past. We are now heading in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go.”
The Quaid-e-Azam League was founded in 1980 with as few as six clubs.
Now there are 30 teams, and the recent annual dinner and prize presentation attracted a record attendance of 297 people.
A key figure in the league starting was Mohammed Tanvir, who was unable to be present at the latest dinner – the 45th since the league started – due to a recent knee operation that has had complications.
But he was certainly not forgotten about, and for his efforts over the years, his son Asif received a certificate of appreciation on his behalf from the league.
He said: “My dad, who is now 75 and lives in London, was approached in 1979 by a very good friend of his, and my father had the contacts and the finances to set the league up.
“He was a very good administrator and he was chairman of the league from 1979 until 1992.
“We had teams from Sheffield, Manchester and Rochdale, and it was the biggest Asian cricket league in the UK, and the most respected and most competitive.
“Other leagues have come and gone but we have been around for 45 years, and it started from very humble beginnings.
“One of the biggest issues was finding grounds to play on because the local Saturday teams were not willing to give up their grounds to Asian teams and the only option was council grounds such as Leeds Road Playing Fields at Huddersfield.
“They were horrible grounds, horrible wickets, dangerous wickets because the players could get easily hurt.
“My dad was a bridge between the white cricketing community and the Asian cricket community and he helped, along with Brian Close and David Bairstow, the league (now using club grounds) go from strength to strength.
“I represented Shabab Cricket Club and we had two teams and played in Huddersfield.
“My dad owned the ground and I also played league cricket for 15 years so I was well and truly involved in the game.”
