LONDON: Scottish cricketer Abtaha Maqsood appeared on a BBC children’s television series reading a book about the Islamic tradition of wearing a headscarf.
The 24-year-old Birmingham Phoenix player is the UK’s first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to play international cricket, The Mirror reported.
She read “Not Now, Noor!” by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani for an episode of CBeebies Bedtime Stories, which aired on Friday, days before the start of South Asian Heritage Month. The story is about a young girl named Noor who wonders why the women in her family wear headscarves.
“It shows why the hijab is so important to a lot of Muslim women,” Maqsood said.
“It’s all about modesty and (having) a clear identity that you are a Muslim, and (are) proud to be a Muslim. It’s a really nice, sweet message for children.”
On why she chose the story, Maqsood told The Mirror that it was a “simple and honest” way “of describing what it is like to actually wear the hijab and what it means to a lot of Muslim women out there.
“It is just really good for children to get a simple answer — it does it really well and in an entertaining way, so that was a book that really jumped out at me.”
Maqsood reading “Not Now, Noor!” by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani. (BBC)
Maqsood told The Mirror that the story reflects her own experiences in Islam, as she wore a hijab from a young age and was the first woman to do so while competing in The Hundred in 2021, a fast-paced form of cricket designed to be simpler to follow and enjoy.
Maqsood, who is studying to be a dentist, is also the first British woman of Pakistani descent to play international cricket for Scotland.
“It was a no-brainer to wear the hijab playing cricket. It wasn’t hindering me and I kept going with it,” she said.
“It’s about modesty and having a real sense of identity, to show people I am who I am and I am proud to be Muslim. I think that’s really important. I think by playing cricket with my hijab in big stadiums like Edgbaston (where Birmingham Phoenix play), it’s such an important message to say to people that, ‘It doesn't matter what you wear, what you look like, you can still do whatever you want. You can play in big stadiums and live your dream, or do anything else that you want.’
“When I was younger, I never really had a role model (whom I) could see wearing a hijab and playing professional sport at a high level, (whom) I could look up to and say ‘I want to be that person.’ I just hope that I can do that a little bit and inspire other people that anything is possible. You can be Muslim and be a cricketer, or a footballer, or whatever.”
Birmingham Phoenix created a sporty hijab for Maqsood to ensure she was comfortable wearing it during games, The Mirror reported.
