Pakistan international Usman Tariq has praised the support he received from Birmingham's Asian community during his first summer playing in English cricket, first with Warwickshire then Birmingham Phoenix.
The 31-year-old off spinner is a late bloomer, having at one point given up cricket and taken a job as a salesman in Dubai. His performances for various franchises around the world earned him a T20 debut for Pakistan against South Africa last November, and despite having only three caps to his name he was named in their T20 World Cup squad.
Tariq impressed in the tournament, taking 10 wickets including 4-16 against Namibia. His displays were enough for the Phoenix to buy him in March's auction for this year's Hundred, before he joined Warwickshire for their Vitality Blast campaign.
Feeling at home at Edgbaston
On his experiences at Edgbaston, Tariq said: "It's been very good because of having so many Asians in the area – lots of Pakistanis and Indians – who love you. That has been the best part of my time because it made me feel like I was at home."
He added: "I'd heard a lot about the summer in England, and how there would be no purchase for the spinners – I was told I would have to struggle with the surfaces here. But I thought it was better to challenge myself with that kind of thing, see how it would go and enjoy the experience. The best thing is I've come here and performed in a way that have left people satisfied and fulfilled the expectations of the management."
Mixed results on the field
Winning only half of their matches meant Warwickshire were unable to qualify out of the Central & West Group in the Vitality Blast, although Tariq was able to take 16 wickets at an economy of 6.09 runs per over. He wasn't quite able to find the same level during The Hundred with Birmingham Phoenix, however, as the franchise endured a disappointing year in which they finished bottom of the eight teams.
Tariq said: "It happens. Sometimes you just try to execute your plans, and it does not go well because the opponent had some good plans against it. We cannot do anything about the results and the one thing in our hands is the effort and the process, and we're just trying to follow it. I know it's been disappointing for the Birmingham Phoenix fans, but it's a part of cricket, it happens and hopefully next year we can win the competition."
Supporting community cricket
Tariq was speaking in support of KP Snacks' Everyone In Fund, which backs the ECB's Cricket Cities programme to remove barriers and create opportunities for participation. A community cricket session for local women and girls in Aston, Birmingham, celebrated the launch of the fund, which is a £750,000 investment over three years that will support community-led projects across England and Wales that will aim to remove barriers such as cost, access to facilities and confidence. The goal of the programme is to create more opportunities for people in urban communities to get active through cricket.
Tariq said: "I was having fun with the kids and the women in the session. It was a good event where everyone enjoyed themselves. I was able to share some my knowledge with them, and I was able to gain some knowledge from them, so it's been a lot of fun. It was good to see the smiles on the children's faces and playing cricket with them was really enjoyable."
His compatriot Fatima Sana added: "It's the first time I've had the chance to do this here in England, so it was good for me to really enjoy the experience."
