The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has appointed Mahboob Hussain as its new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager.
Hussain joins with 20 years of experience in social and inclusive roles working with hard to reach communities. The keen league cricketer will take up the post at Emerald Headingley in late April.
Born in Bradford, Hussain attended his hometown university studying a degree in Social Work. Following his studies, Hussain has held various roles, from Day Centre Officer and Child Protection Social Worker at Bradford Social Care, to a Workforce Development Officer, focusing on disability services for children.
Hussain will join Yorkshire from St Luke’s Hospital in Bradford where he has worked for the past decade as a Therapeutic/Psychological Practitioner and Social Worker, leading on the design and delivery of inclusion-based projects in a psychology service for children with neurodiversity.
Speaking about his new role, Hussain said: “My colleagues have said that this job combines my two passions rolled into one.
“Diversity, inclusion and equality have always been a passion through work and working in cricket has always been a dream. I am particularly passionate about local cricket. I have an understanding the dynamics of it and the challenges, as well as the opportunities that we have.
“Through cricket, I have made so many friends and across cultures. I have been in teams where the majority of players have been south Asian and I have been in teams where I am the only south Asian player.
“I have made lots of friendships, lots of connections and for me personally, lots of barriers have been broken down through the love of sport. That is what drives me. I am hoping that these kinds of experiences can be shared and understood by others. That is what attracted me to this role.”
Once described as an economical off-spinner, Hussain has taken over 300 wickets in the Bradford League and knows that he had no choice but to fall in love with the game.
“I was born into a cricketing family,” Hussain said. “I have played all of my years in the Bradford League as a junior and then for various clubs as an adult.
“I spent ten years at Manningham Mills Cricket Club. I was captain there for six of those years. At the time of leaving, we were fifth in the Premier League. I had a really good group of people around which you always need for any kind of success.
