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Trailblazer Mehmooda Duke believes role as Leicestershire chair will help break down barriers

Mehmooda Duke
Mehmooda Duke

Mehmooda Duke is a trailblazer, but a reluctant one. As the only woman chair of a county club and the sole representative among the 18 counties from an Asian background she is acutely – if not comfortably – aware of her status as an outrider in a sport where off-field change happens at occasionally glacial pace.

The lack of representation in management and coaching positions from the black and Asian communities is one of the reasons why the county game has been accused of institutional racism and is seen as a barrier for attracting players from those backgrounds, limiting the sport’s talent pool. Asian and black players have also blamed the lack of coaches from similar backgrounds as a reason why they have not been given a fair chance to establish their careers.

The Telegraph revealed in June that, in 2019, only five out of 118 coaches in county cricket were from an Asian background, and just 21 from 362 male players. The figure was more shocking in the women’s game, where only five out of 118 players were from BAME backgrounds.

Last month, when Ian Watmore took over as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, he admitted it was not acceptable for his own executive board to be all white but referenced Duke’s role at Leicestershire as a positive sign of change within the county game.

Duke herself would rather be judged by her aptitude than her skin colour.

“I don’t ever stand back and think I am the first woman at chairman level. But I know other people have mentioned it to me,” she says.

“For me, it is all about what you bring to the table. It is about your skills and the added value you bring.

Gareth Delany of Leicestershire Foxes hits the ball while batting during the T20 Vitality Blast 2020 match between Leicestershire Foxes and Durham at Emerald Headingley Stadium on August 31, 2020 - Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Gareth Delany of Leicestershire Foxes hits the ball while batting during the T20 Vitality Blast 2020 match between Leicestershire Foxes and Durham at Emerald Headingley Stadium on August 31, 2020 - Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

“I do think I bring a different perspective sometimes. Visibility is important. Cricket is seen as a male-dominated sport but hopefully the fact there is a woman as a first-class chairman will make other women think ‘I can do that, too’. There will come a day when it will not be unusual. It will be organic, women will be involved and we are on that path. Hopefully, in time, we will see some changes and I know the ECB are committed to those changes and we will see the fruit of that.

“It is about having people to reflect the society in which we live, therefore it is important to have people from every background because everyone needs a voice. I think it has been recognised and steps are being taken.”

Duke’s father moved to Britain in the 1960s from Gujarat, and her mother is from Zanzibar. A Cambridge graduate, she worked as a teacher before retraining to be a lawyer and setting up her own medical negligence business. “When I first went into a meeting [of the other county chairmen], there was a slight awareness I was the only woman. I was also one of the newer chairmen, so it was difficult to work out whether it was because I was a woman, but now I don’t feel it at all. It is more about the issues that need to be discussed and everything that is relevant to what we are talking about.”

Leicestershire were the first county to appoint an Asian chief executive in Wasim Khan, who now works for the Pakistan Cricket Board, and have made lots of progress building relationships with their local Asian community after years of neglect.

Six out of nine of their recent academy intake are from BAME backgrounds and Duke, 53, believes it is just the beginning. She also says it fits in with the county’s strategy of being a nursery ground for future England players. Counties such as Leicestershire are striving for relevance in the modern game. They have not challenged for silverware for a long time – although they have at least qualified for Thursday’s T20 Blast quarter-finals, where they face Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge – and have seen a string of young talent poached by bigger clubs.

Duke sees their future as producing the next Stuart Broad or James Taylor, but by reaching out to diverse communities rather than relying on local private schools.

“We are absolutely committed to red ball and every form of cricket,” she adds. “For Leicestershire, it is about the whole game. It is about English cricket. It is not just about Leicestershire. Our strategy that we presented to the ECB in March was about us being an academy for English cricket. We are passionate that we want to produce players for England. There has always been in the past a sense that you bring people through your academy assuming they will stay with your club and then there is a huge sense of disappointment when they leave. We can change our thinking and celebrate that we have produced a player who has gone on to play for England.

“The other aspect for Leicestershire is we have a huge opportunity to bring Asian players through our academy from the BAME community. At the moment we have nine in our academy and six of those are from the Asian community. We have a huge role to play in that respect. For us, it is about giving those players an opportunity. The barrier for young people is being spotted. The work we are doing locally is identifying talent and giving it an opportunity. That has to be key. There is a lot of engagement going on with local clubs, we have set up a south Asian focus group so we are taking steps to progress the work that has been done.”