First SACA graduate gets pro deal as Kashif Ali joins Worcestershire

GEORGE DOBELL: The SACA scheme is aimed at correcting the disparity between the number of British Asian players in recreational cricket and the percentage of county pros from the same ethnic background

Kashif Ali has become the first graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to sign for a first-class county.

Kashif, an off-spinning all-rounder, has signed for Worcestershire and could come into their T20 side to play on Sky next week.

The 24-year-old, who was born in Kashmir but brought up in Luton, has been on trial with Northamptonshire and Worcestershire in recent weeks. He has made a strong impression in the second XI competition with three half-centuries and some useful contributions with the ball. 

But it his signing as a SACA graduate that perhaps carries wider significance.

The SACA scheme, based upon the PhD research of Tom Brown at Birmingham City University (BCU), is aimed at correcting the current trend which sees over 30 per cent of recreational cricketers in England and Wales classified as British Asian but the figure drop to under five per cent when it comes to men's professional cricket.

^{Kashif Ali has joined Worcestershire [Worcestershire CCC]}

It involves selecting a squad of players who do not currently have contracts and providing them with tailored training plans and dietary advice in the aim of helping them win deals within the county system.

The entire cost of the programme is around £50,000, which pays for the male and female programmes as well as a research programme. The majority of the funding comes from BCU. The ECB has declined to contribute.

If Kashif, who had previously slipped through the net of the talent identification systems, enjoys success it will go some way to vindicating Brown's theories and could provide the template for greater optimisation of the talent that exists within the British Asian community.

Among other members of this year’s SACA intake which are on trails at counties is Zen Malik, at Gloucestershire, Amrit Basra at Kent and Roshan Balaji at Warwickshire and Worcestershire and Amaan Ul-Haq and Mo Rizvi at Surrey.

Zain Ul-Hassan has been on trial with Northants and is playing for Surrey next week while Brinder Phagura has also been at Surrey.