Wasim Khan


Wasim Gulzar Khan became the first Pakistani/Asian origin British to play professional cricket in England. He was a left-handed batsman who also bowled right arm medium pace.

Early life

Khan's family, originally from the Kashmir region, relocated to England in the 1960s. Khan was born in Birmingham and attended Somerville Primary School before continuing on to Oldknow Secondary School. At the age of 12, he began to display a talent for cricket, and was encouraged to play by a teacher. Later that year in 1983, he was selected for the Warwickshire Under 13's team. Khan was the only state school boy in that team.

Career

He played first-class cricket for the record breaking double winning Warwickshire team in 1995, averaging 49 in the championship winning team. He also gained a NatWest winners medal. He represented England U19's.
Khan was seen as one of the most important men in English cricket, leading the Cricket Foundation's £50 million Chance to Shine campaign as the CEO. The campaign aimed to regenerate competitive cricket in state schools. His autobiography Brim Full of Passion was voted Wisden Book of the Year 2007. Since launching in 2005, Chance to Shine has reached over 1.8 million children across 6,500 schools and has raised close to £40 million. He also sits on the Equality and Human Rights Commission Sports Group, The Prince's Trust Cricket Group, and has the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of the England and Wales Cricket Board. In January 2015, he earned a Master of Business Administration from the Warwick Business School.
In October 2014, he was made Chief Executive of Leicestershire Cricket Club.
In December 2018, he was appointed as the managing director of the Pakistan Cricket Board and moved to Pakistan to take his office in February 2019.

Achievements

He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to cricket and the community.