ENGLAND and Yorkshire cricketer Adil Rashid, his uncle and community ambassador Javed Bashir have received honorary doctorates from the University of Bradford.
Rashid was born in Bradford in 1988 and is only the third Yorkshire-born Asian to play first-team cricket for Yorkshire and the first of Pakistani-origin.
He is being recognised for his outstanding career in sport and his services to the communities of Bradford, including supporting activities that provide opportunities and improve the lives of young people.
Rashid said: “It is a great honour to receive this. I also send my congratulations to students graduating this year. My advice to you is make sure you give 100 per cent and have a positive mindset in all walks of life, because anything is possible.”
He played a major role in England’s world cup success in 2019 and on June 21, 2019, he played his 150th international match for England against Sri Lanka.
He runs the Adil Rashid Cricket Academy, with his brother, to inspire more children to get into sport and is an ambassador for the Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal (OPSA) charity, which provides free facial surgery for poor children and young adults in Pakistan.
Bashir is honoured for his service to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic and his unstinting support to the University of Bradford.
He is the founder and CEO of the Professional Muslims Institute, Safeguarding Consultant for the Strengthening Faith Institutions (SFI) and has played a pivotal role in promoting better understanding, integration and community cohesion in the City for many years.
“If you win and become successful, always remember the people who helped you, no matter how talented you are and irrespective of the heights you have climbed. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support from others. Never forget where you started and never say good-bye to your people and your community," Bashir told graduating students.
"You have to fail first, fail often to rise up the ladder. Always remember before you even learned to walk you learned to fall.”
During the Covid-19 lockdown, he teamed up with different faith communities to set up the Volunteering Interfaith Partnership in collaboration with Age UK Bradford & District and SFI.
In 2018, Bashir was included in a publication honouring the highest levels of achievement in the Muslim 100 Parliamentary Review and was awarded the Unsung Hero award by Keighley MP Robbie Moore for his innovative work in bringing faith groups together to help others.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event