We at KheloPakistan, recently conducted an interview with the captain of British University Charity XI: Kemal Alam - the British university team which toured Pakistan earlier this month to play a one day as well as a T20 game against Pakistan under 19 team.
British university team lost both those games, but Kemal thinks of it as an opportunity to excel at (almost) the top level. Find out what else he had to say:
KheloPakistan.com> Tell us a little about yourself, what you do? Under what circumstances you started playing cricket and how is it coming along with the studies now?
Kemal Alam> I'm left arm swing bowler and lower order batsman. I started playing cricket as a toddler in Lahore before I moved to England,as I became older and went to do my undergraduate studies at Durham University I started juggling cricket and studies, its hard and although our university is a first-class cricket team which has produced two of England's finest captains in Andrew Strauss and Nasser Hussain, its hard to do both serious cricket and studies. Once I knew I wouldn't be good enough for international cricket I concentrated more on studies.
KheloPakistan.com> As a fan, what international cricket team you support? Also who are your favourite batsman, bowler, ground fielder?
Kemal Alam> I support Pakistan and England, my favourite batsmen are Brian Lara and Amir Sohail,favourite bowler Wasim Akram and favourite fielder would be Herschelle Gibbs.
KheloPakistan.com> What is your connection with Pakistan? Do you have family members here?
Kemal Alam> I was born here and have family in Lahore and Kohat.
KheloPakistan.com> How did you become captain of the British Universities team or get in the team in the first place? I mean did you take it seriously from the beginning? Or it just occurred to you?
Kemal Alam> I did take cricket seriously at school level in England and was in the youth squad for Kent, and then went to a university that is one of the six first-class universities in England, cricket is competitive and there are different levels of teams, I became captain of a specific team that deals with charity fund raising.
KheloPakistan.com> Which club/league do you play for in the UK? What is the standard like?
Kemal Alam>- I don't play club or league cricket, just for universities and an Army charity side called the Afghan Appeal Fund, whose team has MCC players, Army officers, and universities players.
KheloPakistan.com> What are you studying?
Kemal Alam> I'm doing a PhD on the Geopolitics of Afghanistan which looks at the map of Afghanistan and its relations with Iran and Pakistan.
KheloPakistan.com> How seriously do you take your cricket with other things in your life?
Kemal Alam> I find cricket a good medium to raise social awareness and to take it seriously but at the same time know that it will not go beyond the university level to a professional level.
KheloPakistan.com> How the idea of touring Pakistan came about and what was the reaction?
Kemal Alam> Each year we tour around England playing the top schools and universities to raise funds for the Afghan Appeal Fund, a British Charity that raises money for education in Afghanistan. General Sir David Richards is the Patron whilst his wife Lady Richards is the President. I wanted to bring this team to Pakistan to show Pakistan's contribution to Afghan cricket, and raise money for the charity and also show Pakistan is safe for international cricket.
KheloPakistan.com> How was the tour funded? Flight, accommodation and general expenses are not easy, especially for students. So how did the boys cope?
Kemal Alam> We had sponsors, Cogent Insurance, Durham University and the Forum for International Relations, and most importantly the Pakistan Cricket Board hosted us which meant all our accommodation,food and transport was sorted. It was a great gesture on the PCB's part specially their international office and Usman Wahla.
KheloPakistan.com> Was this tour the first time you played a televised match? Have you played at an international ground before or was this the first experience you had of playing at an international ground which has a proud history of hosting major matches such as the 1996 world cup final?
Kemal Alam> I've played at the Gaddaffi before, in 2005, so personally it was my second time, for our other players it was the first time and an honour of course. Most of our team has played at Lords and the Oval as part of university and school cricket. It was the first televised game (s) - and was good fun specially under lights.
KheloPakistan.com> Do you feel it was unfair to put you up against Pakistan’s best youth team of which many of whom will inevitably go on to play international cricket rather than playing a domestic B team or regional youth team? Do you think it was an unfair contest as most of you are full time students, employees whereas they were looking to do cricket for a living?
Kemal Alam> It was a difficult proposition to play against the best u19s team in the world but I would not call it un fair. We relished the challenge, we were just not prepared for it and the heat was not good for our team, were in January we would have put up a better performance. We played their seamers quite well, the really quick ones, it was the spin of Usman Qadir and their other left arm spinner we couldn't play.
KheloPakistan.com> Bangladesh have agreed to tour Pakistan, again like British University in one ODI and one T20, do you think you played a crucial part here? [Interview was conducted before the latest sissy show by BCB]
Kemal Alam> I think Bangladesh were planning to come before us in any case. If we have helped nudge them then its great. I think the PCB and Pakistan deserve the credit rather than us.
KheloPakistan.com> Do you plan on to turn into a professional cricketer?
Kemal Alam> Not really, just this level and then call it a day.
KheloPakistan.com> Did you get to meet & interact with any of the senior team players here in Pakistan?
Kemal Alam> Our team had some good meetings with Javed Miandad, Misbah ul Haq and Amir Sohail, it was a great experience for us all to meet such cricketers and take on their wisdom.
KheloPakistan.com> The highlight of the trip?
Kemal Alam> Playing under lights in front of 4000 people.
KheloPakistan.com> The most impressive Pakistan player you played against?
Kemal Alam> Sami Aslam (he scored 200 against us) and also Usman Qadir.
Good luck in your future studies & career, many thanks for your time.
GeoSuper