Mohammed Arif: 3 Decades in cricket, from the ECB, to coaching & the growth of tape-ball cricket!

Mohammed Arif is passionate about cricket, be it mainstream, street or indoor, he enjoys the game in every form. He strives to promote the game, so it transcends boundaries while also bringing communities together. He has formerly worked with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as their National Growth Manager for diverse communities. During his tenure with the ECB, Arif was focused on delivering the game and aiming to grow the game in poor communities. In the past 3 years, he has specifically worked on a project that involved engaging with the biggest community in England & Wales that plays cricket i.e. South Asian Community, via consultation, engagement and alongside the strategy team pulling together an Action Plan to help address some of the barriers to participation. The ECB, on the back of devoted individuals like Arif, has organised a number of fabulous events over the recent years, such as the Champions Trophy, the Women’s World Cup and most recently, the Men’s ODI World Cup. We could feel his enthusiasm with respect to tape-ball, which is unparalleled. Arif presented a number of insights into the tape-ball cricketing world and his view on how it can reach a wider audience. Albeit a format identified primarily as South Asian, tape-ball has found a home at the streets of England with Chance to Shine Street cricket program.