Aspiring cricketers meet world number one test batsman Marnus Labuschagne
The next generation of aspiring cricketers have met a number of legends of the sport at a local community event.
Glamorgan Cricket hosted the event in the hope of inspiring and engaging youngsters in Cardiff.
World number one test batsman Marnus Labuschagne met with fellow cricket fans, taking part in a Q&A and playing with local school children from Grangetown Primary School and Fitzalan High School.
Other big names included club captain David Lloyd, Prem Sisodiya and Welsh Fire women’s Georgina Hennessy.
Playing for Glamorgan, Marnus will take on the Essex Eagles in the upcoming Vitality Blast in their first of seven home fixtures starting in Thursday 2 June.
Discussing the local project, Australian cricketer Marnus said: “It was fantastic to see so many children and members of the local community in Grangetown attend. From the smiles on faces, it looked like everyone had a great time and that there is a real passion for cricket in Wales.
“I know the club has done a lot of work over recent years to engage with the community and you can see it’s working. We want more kids from all backgrounds to take on cricket as a sport from a young age.
“The Vitality Blast is just around the corner and we want to play in front of big crowds and see the local community attend and cheer us on. The atmosphere will be electric and I can’t wait to see fans back in the stadium.”
Ahmed Khan is a Year 6 pupil from Grangetown Primary School. He explained: “I really enjoyed yesterday’s event in Grange Gardens, it was really cool to see Marnus hit the ball over the pavilion and I can’t wait to go watch him play live for Glamorgan with my school”.
Community and Development Manager, Mark Frost, acknowledged how the cricket ground in the heart of Cardiff helps in bringing in new talent.
“With the attraction of so many international level players coming to Sophia Gardens this summer, we hope to have a more diverse audience that represents inner Cardiff where the stadium is based.
“We’ve also worked harder than ever to engage with schools and get children playing and engaging with cricket again. We’ve given out thousands of free tickets to schools like Grangetown Primary School and hopefully, it will inspire the next generation of Welsh cricketers.”
The club recently announced Mojeid Ilyas as their new Diversity Champion and Talent Scout. Mojeid will look to work closely with diverse communities across Wales to increase representation in sport.
Mojeid said: “It’s fantastic to be able to hold an event like this in the heart of Grangetown and see so many from the local community attend.
“There's been a real buzz here throughout the event and there were a lot of very excited people when the players arrived.”