The healing power of cricket and religion is perfect mix for one of the many residents in Hong Kong who are not always made to feel welcome
With racism still prevalent, some of the city’s ethnic minorities are turning to sport to help spread a message of tolerance
Aziz Numan stands at the crease, bat in hand, waiting for the ball to arrive. In that moment there is nothing in his world but this: him at one end of the wicket, the bowler running in at the other, and the desire to score runs to help his team.
Thoughts of life are pushed to the side on that sunny Saturday in Yuen Long, and for a brief moment the sound of bat on ball, a quick run, and the need to concentrate on what is immediately in front of him are all that command his attention.
Unfortunately, the distraction is over all too quickly; six balls later the bowler has his revenge, removing one of Numan’s stumps and bringing his team’s innings to an end. Next it will be the turn of Numan’s team to have a bowl, and he cannot wait to get back out there.
For the Pakistani lawyer, moments such as this make life in Hong Kong bearable, against a backdrop of discrimination in a city struggling to shed its reputation for racial inequality.
“Cricket is in my blood, it’s in my family’s DNA,” Numan says. “My grandfather and dad both played the sport back in Pakistan.”
Even after leaving behind his life in his home country 10 years ago, their teachings stayed close to the 35-year-old’s heart.