We’ve had an amazing opportunity to ask the well-known ex-England cricketer Owais Shah a few questions about his career. Owais, a friend of 2k Tiger who attends our events, talked to us remotely in view of the present lockdown. Owais has enjoyed an admirable career which includes 71 One Day International appearances, 17 T20 matches for England, and a spell when he played successfully in the Indian Premier League.
When did you get into cricket and when did you realise you had a career in the sport? I grew up in Pakistan and used to play street cricket at about 7 or 8 years old with my family and neighbours. While my father worked in the airlines, I relocated to England when I was 14 to pursue cricket. I lived with my coach for a year, then I was fortunate enough to be signed at Middlesex (CCC) as a professional when I was only 15 years old.
What made you successful? When I was offered a professional contract, my entire life started revolving around cricket. I’d been playing from an early age and I’d played with adults. I think this assisted my successful development - there was no divide between children and men, and it built my confidence quickly. I think good advice for aspiring cricketers is to find a mentor and strive for your best. I had to adapt quickly from life in Pakistan to living in England, but with the right support and inspired by my idols, I found I was soon following the right path. What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned? I learnt a lot of lessons from cricket, but I also apply them to life in general. Sport doesn’t just teach you how to play the game, it teaches you communication, teamwork and discipline.
Who has been a good mentor for you? This is a tough one - I am a very self-motivated guy. I would say, at Middlesex, Jason Pooley. When I arrived, he took me under his wing. However, when I moved into the first team, Paul Weekes and Mike Gatting were good mentors. Getting a good mentor is key to speeding up your success.
Who is the greatest player you’ve played with? I would say that Ricky Ponting is the best player I’ve played with. Not only for his batting, but for the person he is. He is one of the greatest of all time, yet he took the time to get to know me personally and put enormous effort into building our relationship. Another guy I have played with, specifically during my T20 journey, is Ajinyka Rahane. He is still playing for India. Ajinyka is a friendly person and a great player overall. I really appreciate those people who have given their time to get to know me on a personal level.
Who’s been the best and most inspiring coach? Definitely Peter Moores: his way of communicating was outstanding and exactly what I needed. Although he received a vast amount of negative media coverage, for me he was great. At that stage of my career I needed his style of man management. As a coach, you can’t play the game for a player, but Peter got me into the best possible frame of mind, so that I was ready to bat for my country.
What are you doing now? Being restricted to the boundaries of my own home and missing sports and socialising, I’ve been spending more time with my family, learning to cook, and doing as much as possible online. I have been teaching my daughters’ classes remotely and I’m continuing to build the cricket academy online.
Owais on lockdown in his garden during the interview - April 2020
Tell us more about your new cricket academy… Ace Cricket Academy is run online at present and includes virtual sessions to try and keep kids active and involved during this difficult time. However, after the lockdown is over, we will go back to normal. We’re based in Kent, and we run sessions every Saturday. Our aim is to promote the game and increase participation. The reason we set the Academy up was that I want to share what I have learnt and give back to the sport. We are doing that, and kids will learn the fundamentals of the game from people who have played at the top level. Especially in these current circumstances, technology is being relied upon heavily. But beyond this, I believe it is incredibly important to promote a healthy, active lifestyle. This began when I was thinking about my own kids, how they have been born into an era where there is such dependence on technology. I encourage them to keep active and hopefully I can emphasise the importance of this approach to as many people as possible.
How can we get involved? We post on social media, through Instagram mainly at @ace_cricket_uk. At the moment we’re trying to get the word out there and we’ll see where it takes us.
We wish you success with the academy Owais, thank you very much for your time today, it’s been great talking to you. I wish you luck with the new cricket academy and look forward to seeing it develop into a tool that will help hundreds of children develop a love for the game.