Maryam Omar

Jordanian Maryam Omar who captains Kuwait’s National Women’s Cricket team has been working arduously along with her teammates, mentors and other stakeholders to bridge the gap between steadily growing enthusiasm in the country to their international aspirations.

Maryam Omar at the GCC Women’s T20 Championship – Oman 2014, winning player of the tournament

In this interview with the Arab Times, the accomplished all-rounder shares her journey with the sport so far and delves into what lies ahead.

Let us start at the beginning. How did your cricketing journey start?

It’s a funny story. Before the existence of cricket in my life, I was always interested in basketball. In my last year of school, my sports teacher encouraged me to try out at a talent hunt being organised by Kuwait Cricket in the summer of 2010. I told my teacher that I wasn’t interested in cricket and didn’t really know enough of the game, I had no background because I’d never seen it and it was seldom talked about in the Arab world. In the end, I decided to try out because I love sports and thought I’d give it a chance.

I went there, it was a lovely Friday morning and I had a lot of fun. It was only after that did I realise how serious they were about the game. I got reeled in and was hooked up on the game ever since. I think that being able to represent a country that you were born in and have the opportunity to play and travel internationally would appeal to anyone.

What impressed you most about the sport?

I think what impressed me about cricket was being able to express my passion. This may sound contradictory because I’ve just told you how clueless I was about the game. But I was able to work out my mind, body and be active through cricket and while basketball had occupied my interests early on, I was drawn to cricket more. The game required different skills in the different positions of batting, bowling, and fielding. So even if you are not good in one aspect, you can make up for it in another.

Do you think the game can appeal to the Arab world?

We have Kuwaiti girls in our team and we are trying constantly and striving to increase our engagement and get more girls on board.  We are very active in spreading the word and it is an obligation on me as a cricketer to increase the popularity of the sport in the Arab world. My biggest aspiration is to promote the game to others just as I had caught it. I’m sure many girls would be interested in the sport if they tried it out once because it is very engaging.

Tell us a bit about your non-cricket side.

I am a sportsperson and I am glad that I have had the chance to play various sports. I spent most of my childhood swimming and practicing Karate. My father’s love for swimming had a big impact on me and I even competed at club levels in swimming tournaments. I don’t really remember if my first baby steps were on land or in water. On the other hand, my mother did a great job in making me  tough and it was for her that I attained  my Karate black belt.

Apart from sports, I am a civil engineer and I will soon travel to Australia on a scholarship received from the Australian College of Kuwait to do a Masters degree at Central Queensland University  (CQU) in Australia. I am very excited not just for the opportunity to study abroad but more so because Australia is a big cricketing nation. They initially wanted to send me to Rock Hampton but I requested that they send me to Melbourne, the cricket capital of Australia. I hope I will be playing more cricket in Australia so when I come back to Kuwait I would be better equipped to  share my experience and promote the game even more.

How do you balance these two avatars?

I graduated in 2014 and started working as a civil engineer but I had started playing cricket in 2010. At that time, I had to skip the first two weeks of my first semester in college because I was selected in Kuwait’s National Women’s team to participate in a cricket tournament in Singapore. My father was not very happy about that. He didn’t understand why I was spending so much time on a game he knew very little about. He used to dislike it because it would keep me away from my family. As a beginner, I had to put in a lot of time to improve my game. My father warned me that if my sports activities affected my studies adversely, that would be the end of it. But I was certain that I wasn’t just wasting my time but working towards a bigger goal. I made a deal to do my best and it was under the condition of keeping my grades up that I was allowed to play cricket.

My mother was very supportive of me from the start. She was very appreciative and encouraging. Sometimes preparing for tournaments I would come home late and my mom would cover up for me. You know, in our culture it is not okay for girls to be out late and my father had a strict curfew of 9:00 pm. My mother used to speak on my behalf and explain that I had a passion for the game but it still wasn’t good enough reason to stay out late according to my father.

It all worked out well. I completed my degree with a perfect GPA and topped my university. My parents were very proud and today they are proud of me as a cricketer as well.

What is your fitness routine?

I wasn’t much into proper fitness before cricket. But I have improved a lot since my commitment to the game. Cricket requires a lot of endurance. There are different formats of the game that require different energy levels and you are out there in the sun for long periods. I always try to keep myself hydrated and eat clean. In terms of physical fitness, I do a lot of cardio exercises. I’m not a gym rat but I work out, there are ample physical and lower body exercises that I do, a lot of push ups too. Our coaches keep pushing us to the limits. The girls in my team are very good at push ups.

How is cricket organised in Kuwait?

Kuwait Cricket is the official governing body for the game of cricket in Kuwait. Under the leadership  of Sheikh  Dari  Fahed Al Ahmad  Al  Sabah, Kuwait  Cricket  is  an  Associate  member  of  International  Cricket Council (ICC)  and Full member  of  Asian  Cricket  Council  (ACC) and  is officially responsible  under  Kuwait  Olympic Committee for managing all cricketing affairs locally and internationally. There are different categories and teams. The men’s senior team is the national team, there is also a full Kuwaiti team as well as Under-19 and Under-16 teams. For the girls, we have Under-19, and Senior teams. We have internationally recognised and certified coaches and umpires working towards the betterment of cricket in Kuwait.

How is Kuwait Cricket faring on the global stage?

The men are doing a brilliant job. They have reached Division 6 in the ICC world cricket league which is commendable. Our full Kuwaiti team recently qualified in the Asian Games, also being the first Arab country to participate in such a tournament. Kuwait is competing hard within the Gulf region  with countries like UAE and Oman which are coming up fast in the arena.

As for women, we recently  came back victorious after our  participation in the 3rd Chaing Mai ladies Championship in Thailand 2015. Girls cricket is demonstrating a great deal of improvement and that’s very positive.

Unfortunately, living the good easy life in the Gulf made fitness an issue. Although you see a lot of people going to the gym, having a six pack doesn’t mean the person has stamina. Cricket is about endurance and flexibility, and how far you can push yourself. Beyond that, there are different skills and exercises required for specific tasks. We have programmes for pre-tournament and pre-matches where our coaches guide us on what to do and what not to do during that time. Before a tournament, we usually stress on the physical as well as mental side of our fitness. We have got to be very tough before our tournaments. After that, in the off season, we focus on sharpening our skills and learning something new.

How active is the team locally?

I am happy to say that the women have got a lot of support from Kuwait Cricket because of our results. We are respected for how we play and we have their support to participate in any domestic league or matches coming up locally.

Looking back at your career, how have you grown?

I have grown from someone who doesn’t know how to hold a cricket bat and who has a very short temper, uncontrolled in the field to a mature individual. I changed as a person and not just in terms of the game. My demeanour and mentality changed dramatically. You get to meet and interact with different cultures and new people. I learned how to represent the country outside. Even though I am not Kuwaiti, I was born here and it is my duty to represent Kuwait well. These six years have been amazing. I used to get very nervous before, but my personality has changed and my confidence has grown.

I have become a role model for girls my age and younger. I think my captaincy and our successes are a source of inspiration and I am very invested in helping and enabling other girls to achieve their cricketing dreams. For this reason, my coaches encouraged me to go through coaching courses as a way of development of women’s structure and also as self-guidance. Thanks to Kuwait Cricket and ACC, I am a level 1 certified coach and a level 2 certified Umpire from ACC.

What about in terms of skills?

I am glad that I can say this, I can now rank myself as one of the top female cricketers in the Gulf region because I recently got the player of the tournament in the 1st GCC Women’s Championship in Oman. I have come a long way from a little girl who couldn’t hold a bat in 2010 but I have developed my skills in the last six years. My coaches Tariq Rasool who is the Women’s Head Coach and Tahir Khan have been instrumental to my progress and there have been many hours spent analysing YouTube videos and learning from them.

Right now, I am competing at domestic level in the mixed leagues. My skills, fitness, stamina and mentality have drastically improved and I consider myself an athlete now.

My cricket journey started by becoming a fielder because the scouts saw I was very energetic. I used to play different sports, so I had quick reflexes and my agility was great. That is how I  was picked for the team but soon after I started working on my bowling and then become a medium paced bowler. I couldn’t get my line right so my coaches encouraged me to get into spin bowling. So now I’m a professional spin bowler and as for batting, I am an opening batswoman for the team.

What have been the highlights of your career?

Between 2010 and 2013, it was a typical learning period for me. In 2013, I was nominated as the team’s captain and that was a turning point. My parents and family were proud and I was very thankful to Kuwait Cricket for the appointment.

Since then I’ve been captaining the national side which itself is a big accomplishment for me. Since 2013, I rose in the tournament level. It was my first tournament as a captain, there were a lot of responsibilities and pressure but I managed them well. I got my first player of the match in the ACC championship Under-19 against Singapore and I even made my first international 50 in that match.

In 2014, I received my first player of the tournament award and Kuwait stood 2nd in the Gulf Championship held in Oman. In 2015, I was again awarded  player of the tournament in Chiang Mai 3rd ladies championship held in Thailand but this time it was very special, we won the Trophy. It was our first ever trophy that we give back to our country Kuwait and we are so proud that we finally did it. I am working hard for my next milestone which is scoring a century, InshAllah.

What is your favourite format?

I have tried the T10, T-20, T-25 and 50 over matches. The 50 overs, I have played against mixed leagues and it is more about endurance than anything else. I enjoy playing the 20-25 overs game because it is a quick format.

How are you working towards increasing Kuwaiti participation in the sport?

We are trying to approach schools, clubs and colleges to get people who have an interest in sports. Some are a great fit for cricket. We are very interested in nationals but anyone is welcome. We want development, we need to promote the beautiful game of cricket.

We have 5-6 Kuwaiti girls among 40 in total. The number is small because we have trouble keeping them as most of them travel abroad for higher education. Some have been very cooperative and they are still on the team. We have a mix of different players from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indian, Jordan, Lebanon, South Africa, Jordan, Egypt and Kuwait.

How frequently do you play?

Asian Cricket Council used to organise yearly tournaments. The Gulf countries  organise the gulf tournament annually and within Kuwait there are plenty domestic leagues and five divisions.

How would you assess the facilities?

We have grassy grounds in Sulaibiya, Doha, Ahmadi and now they are building a stadium as well. They are far off from where we live but we are lucky that Kuwait is a small country and transport is not an issue. The grounds are well equipped and well taken care of, it’s great to see grassy ground in this part of the world. Kuwait Cricket is doing a wonderful job in maintaining such facilities.

In terms of popularity, have there been improvements?

Initially, they kept looking for players but now girls are approaching us. So that is a positive sign. We are moving slowly and reaching to a point where we are getting girls.

Among the Kuwaitis, the popularity is spreading. Especially among men. I hope I can play the game, make a career out of it and pass it down to the next generation.

What are the main challenges being a female cricketer?

In the initial stages, there are challenges of getting the game right and expressing yourself as a female. It’s the way you carry yourself in public keeping in mind our Islamic and cultural values. It is not easy for a girl in the Middle East to pursue a career or passion for sports. There are always obstacles and challenges but I really thank the parents of our girls for trusting their daughter’s dreams and passion and not what the society has to say about it. Moreover, we are lucky that Kuwait Cricket took into consideration the sensitivity of this issue and have managed to arrange a very safe and friendly environment for all the girls to join. There is nothing to worry about when you’re in the ground.

Apart from that, not much girls are interested in sports as much as they love fashion and makeup so takes a lot of effort for us to motivate the girls to get moving. You need to develop mental strength. I think committing to the game is a challenge. The heat and the long sessions are extremely challenging for many players.

What is the dynamic within the team?

They are my family. All the girls are very talented and maybe it is the spirit that has kept us going because we all scared of losing the camaraderie. There is a healthy competition between us that is very positive. We share the same dream so we push each other to the limit.

What changes would you like to see in the coming years?

I would love to see more grounds, more girls participating and more domestic competitions for girls at area and district levels. We also need more audience for girls and appreciation from the community.

What are your future short-term and long-term goals?

For the short-term, I would love to play as much as I can and develop my game and play tournaments. I am setting small targets for myself, this keeps me motivated and focused on my ultimate goal. I do enjoy engineering and I love designing and building structures, but my real passion is cricket and I would love to pursue it as a career.

For the long term, I am working on my weaknesses and I am trying to learn as much as possible by gaining game experience and in 10 years I wish to be at Lord’s Cricket ground playing cricket. It is the ultimate dream of any cricketer!

By Cinatra Fernandes

Arab Times Staff