SPONSORED PLAYER: Abtaha Maqsood
Debuting for Scotland Under 17s at aged 12, Abtaha Maqsood has been cricket-mad from the start! This right-arm leg break bowler has bamboozled batters for years, representing Sunrisers, Birmingham Phoenix, and Scotland in her career so far.
Maqsood began her cricket career at Poloc Cricket Club where she played with her brother from age eleven. Only four months after this, she was called up to Scotland’s Under 17 squad and began her international cricket journey, making her senior international T20 debut in 2018 vs Uganda. Maqsood is no stranger to big games and has represented her country in numerous world tournaments and qualifiers, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games Qualifier in Malaysia. Whilst Scotland didn’t qualify for the Birmingham Games, they still placed third in the table within a tough field.
Other high profile matches Maqsood has been involved in include the 2018 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier, the 2019 ICC Women’s Qualifier Europe, and the 2019 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier. Across her T20I career so far, she has taken 35 wickets in just 33 matches, making her an experienced international cricketer and a vital player for Scotland.
In the domestic game, Maqsood has been equally as successful and has just signed a professional contract with Sunrisers for the 2023 season. As for The Hundred, Maqsood has proven useful for Captain Sophie Devine with her economical bowling which has caused batters to make rash mistakes. After playing five matches in the second season of The Hundred, the 2023 season is looking bright for Maqsood.
Away from cricket, Maqsood is just as inspiring in her achievements. Not only is she a blackbelt in Taekwon-do, but also balanced her cricket career with her dentistry degree - not an easy task at all! Maqsood is also the first British international cricketer to wear a hijab whilst playing and has helped to make ground-breaking changes throughout British cricket. She is an incredible role model to young cricketers everywhere.
777Cricket looks forward to seeing Maqsood in action again this summer and wishes her every luck for the season.
Article written by Sophie Utteridge