Teams from across Europe, led by players and officials from expatriate communities from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, flock to Malaga for ten overs-a-side tournaments
By Nadeem BadshahAug 17, 2023
CRICKET, tapas and a TV advert featuring footballer Lionel Messi may seem like a strange combination, but it has been a winning one in helping to grow the sport in Spain and across Europe, thanks to the south Asian expatriate community.
In Malaga, the Cartama Oval has become the new European capital of the game, hosting coaching classes for children, domestic competitions and the annual televised international European Cricket League.
It may be a far cry from Lord’s but the ground, in a village around 30 minutes from the tourism hotspot of Torremolinos, has become a hotbed due to the weather, allowing games and coaching sessions to be held during the winter and the nearby tapas restaurants for fans.
Teams from across Europe, led by players and officials from expatriate communities from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, flock to Malaga for the ten overs-a-side tournaments.
Norway, Greece, France, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Bulgaria will be among the nations competing in the European Cricket Championship alongside England and Ireland in September and October.
Gulfraz Riaz, chairman of the National Asian Cricket Council (NACC), has been invited out to Spain and Germany in order to help run camps in schools. He told Eastern Eye: “The south Asian community have played a significant part.
“The sport is stronger in the Catalonia region. It is not the national sport but the locals are very intrigued. Expatriates have got them into administration positions which has helped to deliver it to local schools and they are catching up.
“A couple of players come to the UK in the summer to play club cricket from Spain like Ravi Panchal. You can play ten months a year in Spain due to the weather. Ireland, Scotland and a lot of counties go to La Manga for warm weather training.”
The coaching sessions in Malaga for children see sessions divided in batting, bowling and fielding groups.
Riaz cited an advert World Cup winner Messi did in Spain where he kicked a cricket ball into the stumps and also tried his hand with a bat.
He added: “The south Asian community have a passion and drive for the game, it’s in the DNA, which has helped to grow it in countries like Spain and Germany.
“The majority of administrators are English expatriates. The south Asian community are playing and as they retire can go into administration roles,” he said.
The players involved at this level of the game are part-time recreational cricketers who have day jobs.
Of the 34 active men and women players in the Spain team listed on the Cricinfo website, 25 are of south Asian origin. From the 28 active men and women players in the France side, 13 are from a south Asian background.
And out of the 38 active men and women players in Germany’s national squad, 21 are of south Asian origin. Among the administrators involved in growing the game are Prakash Sidasivan Nair, president of the Czech Republic Cricket Association.
Kamran Uddin, a writer, said: “Although football continues to dominate TV viewing figures and alongside investment and large swathes of society in Britain, cricket is quietly making it’s presence known with the help of south Asian expatriates.
“For many of them, cricket is their lifeblood and something they are so heavily invested in. They play the game regularly with friends and family. It also plays a strong part in their national identity.”
It comes after The European Cricket Network (ECN) expanded its partnership with Cyprus’s Cricket Association in June which includes introducing schoolkids to the game, developing the grassroots level and improving the national side.
Muhammad Husain, chairman of the Cyprus Cricket Association (CCA), said: “The expanded partnership between ECN and CCA is a significant milestone for cricket in Cyprus.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the ECN to strengthen the promotion of cricket’s presence in Cyprus and invest in domestic and grassroots development, particularly with the introduction of the sport in schools with teachers and school children,” he said.
“This partnership will unlock new opportunities for our cricketers and inspire the growth of cricket throughout the country.” British Asian players are also helping to spread the gospel of cricket around Europe.
Kushaal Krishnakumar plays for Bulgarian team Sofia Spartans and scored a century on his debut in May.
The 22-year-old said: “I am originally from Cambridge. I am a first year studying medicine here at Sofia University.”
On his century he added: “I am trying to hit the ball as I see it. It was my first game for the Spartans and I wanted to get off to a good start.”
Yashmin Harun BEM, chair and founder of the Muslimah Sports Association, said diversity within cricket and across the whole of sport is important.
She told Eastern Eye: “Having south Asian expatriates representing within cricket increases visibility which young people can aspire to and have as role models.
“The fact that there is more south Asian female representation is also significant in growing the sport and making it more accessible and inclusive,” she said.
“Increased representation from south Asian expatriates within both the men and women’s game is a good starting point. However more needs to be done within cricket to improve the pathways to professional levels,” she added.
“It is not enough to have a couple of token players to inspire the next generation. Until diversity becomes normal rather than the exception there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Ryland Headley, 92, was convicted in 2023 for the 1967 rape and murder of Louisa Dunne.
Modern DNA testing on preserved evidence led to the breakthrough.
Headley previously admitted to raping two elderly women and committing multiple burglaries.
Police are now working with the NCA and other forces to investigate further possible crimes.
Officers describe him as a “dangerous serial offender” whose full history may still be unknown.
Ryland Headley, a 92-year-old man convicted of a 1967 murder following a cold case breakthrough, is now the subject of wider police investigations. Detectives believe he may be responsible for further unsolved crimes, with similarities in method and victim profile suggesting a disturbing pattern. Headley was convicted of raping and murdering 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in Bristol after DNA evidence linked him to the scene more than five decades later. Avon and Somerset Police are now working with the National Crime Agency and other forces to pursue additional leads.
Cold case solved with modern forensics
The murder of Louisa Dunne in June 1967 shocked the Easton community in Bristol. Despite an extensive investigation, no suspect was identified at the time. It wasn’t until a cold case review in 2023 that investigators made a breakthrough.
Forensic teams re-examined the skirt Mrs Dunne had been wearing, discovering that semen remained on the fabric. When tested with modern DNA profiling, it returned a match to Ryland Headley. His DNA had only been entered into the national database in 2012 following an unrelated arrest.
Police believe this could be the oldest cold case murder ever solved in the UK.
History of offences raises new questions
Ryland Headley was no stranger to law enforcement. In the late 1970s, he admitted to raping two elderly women in Ipswich, aged 84 and 79, and asked for 10 burglaries to be considered during sentencing. In each case, his victims were elderly or middle-aged women living alone.
Although these crimes were not initially linked to Mrs Dunne’s death, police now say the pattern was “eerily similar”.
Detective Inspector Dave Marchant, from the major crime review team, said: “It was eerily similar – the method of entry, the offences that these women were subjected to and the demographic. I would describe him as a serial offender and a dangerous serial offender at that.”
Further offences under review
With Headley now convicted, police have widened their investigation. Avon and Somerset Police are collaborating with the National Crime Agency and other UK forces to identify whether other cold cases could be connected to him.
“We are working with colleagues across the country to try to uncover any other offences we can potentially bring him to justice for,” DI Marchant said.
Heidi Miller, regional forensic coordinator, questioned whether Mrs Dunne’s murder was Headley’s first serious offence. “Such a brutal crime is not usually a first offence,” she said. “I wonder, what else has he been involved in through the years?”
Outward appearance masked true nature
Despite his past, Headley was considered by neighbours to be a gentle and friendly figure in later life. Known for chatting about gardening and his pet cat, few suspected the crimes he had committed decades earlier.
DI Marchant cautioned against being deceived by appearances: “Some people are capable of the most disgusting, abhorrent things and can still present an outward appearance of normality – and that’s the case with Mr Ryland Headley.”
Headley is due to be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court for the rape and murder of Louisa Dunne.
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Joseph has chaired several BRIT Awards shows and was an executive producer of the Oscar and BAFTA-winning 2015 documentary Amy.
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS (RSA) has announced the appointment of David Joseph CBE as its next chief executive officer. He will take over the role in September, succeeding Andy Haldane.
Joseph previously served as chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK for 17 years. During his time at the company, he oversaw its transformation into a global exporter of British music and worked with several major international artists.
He began his career in advertising before moving into music, where he held roles in artist development and label management. He became chairman and CEO of Universal Music UK in 2008.
Alongside his commercial career, Joseph has been involved in a number of social and cultural initiatives. In 2019, he launched Universal Music’s Creative Differences initiative, which produced the first industry handbook for supporting neurodiversity in the workplace. The handbook has been adopted by more than 200 organisations globally.
He is a founding board member of Julie’s Bicycle, a group focused on climate issues in the cultural sector, and served on the National Council of Arts Council England for eight years. In 2013, he collaborated with Baroness Doreen Lawrence to mark the 20th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s murder through the Unity project. He also serves as Chair of the Grenfell Foundation.
Joseph has chaired several BRIT Awards shows and was an executive producer of the Oscar and BAFTA-winning 2015 documentary Amy.
RSA Chair Sir Loyd Grossman said: “David’s commitment to effecting social change, his compassion and his commitment to nurturing people is exemplary.
“We are thrilled that David will join us in the autumn, knowing that he will foster a collaborative and caring culture that speaks to our fellows, partners, staff teams and the wider world. These qualities make David superbly placed to lead the RSA into its next vital phase, and we are thrilled to have him on board.”
Commenting on his appointment, Joseph said: “The RSA has a remarkable heritage and untapped potential. At a time when fresh thinking and collective action are urgently needed across the globe, the RSA is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change - uniting its rich tradition of arts, creativity and policy influence with the energy of its global Fellowship to spark ideas that shape society. I’m excited to join such a talented organisation where we will build a bold new chapter together.”
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