Pics (from top): Salma; Salma, Saddi and Aisha; Salma and Ian Bell MBE
ANOTHER season complete and more records set – quite a season for award-winning cricketer Salma Bi!
Summer 2013 saw Salma represent the following clubs:
Five Ways Old Edwardians CC Women
Five Ways Old Edwardians CC 3rds Men’s Team
Worcestershire County
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)
Hawarden Park CC North Wales
Her all-round bowling performance for the season reads: 204 overs, 49 maidens, 44 wickets.
Salma not only took a five-wicket haul against Wolverhampton, but also finished with best bowling averages too.
She was leading wicket taker in the Women’s Midland Leagues with 24 (88 career) and runner-up in her club teams with 39 wickets (224 since 2005).
Given the opportunity to play at Lord’s, Salma represented MCC Women v Japan in a tour game which will always bring back memories, playing alongside Ebony Rainsford and Caroline Atkins under the captaincy of England’s No1 batswoman Clare Taylor.
Salma’s batting did a lot of talking this season too.
Playing for Five Ways Men’s 3rds, she kept a cool facing an opening bowler moving the ball around and sending in the occasional bouncers.
He soon found Salma is not one to play safe as she hit him for six!
Playing in a T20’s Women’s final match, Salma was sent in to open, hitting 15 runs off the first over followed by back-to-back boundaries and gaining a free hit.
On May 6, 2013, Salma appeared on TV Live on the Islam Channel for a talk show highlighting her struggles and achievements to date.
She answered questions such as how she juggles life as a nurse and sports star, captaining her midweek Futsal team Great White Sharks and running coaching sessions at the S&S Indoor Cricket Centre in Birmingham.
A regular media pundit, Salma had the privilege of watching live ICC Champions Trophy matches and meeting top players, as well as covering the phone-in commentary live on the BBC Asian Network.
During her time in the limelight Salma was invited to bowl to the England Women in preparation for the Ashes, turning up to practice as the only non-international player.
She bowled three hours straight and raised some eyebrows. The coaches did nothing but applaud Salma’s bowling ability and didn’t miss out on the chance to film the session.
Salma later that week went down to support Pakistan play Ireland at Moseley Cricket Club not aware that during the interval she would be called up to show off more of her bowling skills in front of the Pakistan coach.
This summer saw Salma concentrate more on her cricket and less on Sporting Pathways events.
However, this does not mean she has stopped helping others.
Through her developing project ‘Get Her in The Game’ Salma introduced us to Birmingham’s football sensation Saddiqa Shan, a 21-year-old Premier League footballer who hit the headlines after being shortlisted for the Asian Achievers Awards – Sports Personality of the Year 2013 and yet to come Asian Football Awards 2013 – Woman in Football Award 2013. #BelieveTheHype
YouTube videos also raised profiles of Sporting Pathways ambassadors.
Recently, Salma received a delightful surprise when she got the call to inform her she was a finalist at the first ever Birmingham Sports Awards, which took place on September 19 at Edgbaston.
Salma was honoured to go up on stage to receive the finalist award for all Contributions to Sports presented by Ian Bell MBE for SportsWoman of the Year alongside World Triathlon Champion Jodie Stimpson and Paralympic tennis player Jordanne Whiley.
After another eventful season, Salma knows she has nothing to prove.
Achieving such great heights, Salma is grateful for all that she has worked hard for.
An England call-up may come but if not Salma knows she has enough under her belt to say she has set the standards for the younger generation to follow.
She has now set a legacy and can only hope if she is to do something next it will be nothing but bigger and better!
Salma looks forward to taking on a new team which she will introduce at the men’s Wall Cricket Club and relishes the prospect of leading her indoor Five Ways Zombies Cricket Team.
Salma has also not long signed up for Solihull FC alongside her younger sister Aisha.
