At Lord’s, a joint initiative between the Ramadan Tent Project, MCC and ECB, saw the first ever Open Iftar (the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset during Ramadan to break their fast) at the ground, with more than 450 people packed into the Nursery Pavilion. The free event, with guests coming from the Islamic community and far beyond, was a far cry from previous years where Iftar has been a closed event for invited guests in the exclusive surrounds of the Long Room. This year, everyone involved had the opportunity to embrace the values of unity, compassion and generosity associated with Ramadan.

Sabah Hamed, ECB diverse communities manager, explains: “When you see the transformational impact of inclusivity like this, with more people able to attend in a more accessible fashion, it’s incredible to experience. This was about bringing people together and taking a moment to pause and reflect on our mission to be the most inclusive team sport. We had a specific focus with the South Asian Action Plan but we’ve now broadened the spectrum of what we’re doing and are engaging not just with the South Asian community, but every ethnically diverse community across England and Wales.”

Omar Salha, founder of the Ramadan Tent Project, adds: “The idea of Open Iftar is that it connects people from different backgrounds. It turns strangers into friends and builds bridges to create a society which is harmonious to all. It has been brilliant working in partnership with MCC and ECB – the idea is that we’re opening up to wider society and this was the first time many guests had ever set foot inside the ground. Our mission is to bring communities together that understand each other and our theme this year has been connection. People feel that they want to be able to have those conversations to connect with one another, to create that sense of common solidarity between different folks.”

One guest was Saqib Mahmood, fresh from representing his country at the Champions Trophy. He says: “This was my first Open Iftar. Ramadan to me is a month of reflection where you’re deprived of things that you’d normally take for granted, so it makes you think about people around the world who don’t necessarily have these things. As someone fasting for Ramadan, I know how important it is to come together for Iftar, and today really felt like one big family. Sitting on the floor and Ramadan in league of its own at Lord’s and Edgbaston sharing a meal made it even more special and was a powerful reminder of our shared connection.”

He adds: “Things have really moved on. Previously, if I was doing Ramadan, I’d just keep it quiet and crack on but over the last couple of years I have found myself talking to my teammates about it a lot more so they have a bit of an understanding. It’s nice that it falls outside of the cricket season this year. In the past when it’s been mid-season, the length of fasting necessary has been quite challenging with dusk coming so late. Over the years I’ve learned how best to deal with it in terms of getting support from nutritionists and physios about the best times to eat, what to put into my body, how to recover as much as I can, and the ideal times to train.”

Away from the capital, up in England’s second city, another Ramadan tale unfolded over the month of March. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, more than 30 players gathered together under the watchful eye of experienced coaches, to break their fast and to take part in the Ramadan Midnight League at the Edgbaston Indoor Centre.

The league was developed through Warwickshire Cricket Foundation’s Chance to Shine Street programme in 2021 and has in previous years had visits from Jacob Bethell and Hasan Ali, who said: “It’s a brilliant idea. Playing cricket in daylight hours during Ramadan, when many of these young men are fasting, would be very difficult as they can’t rehydrate or take on food. Warwickshire open up the centre late at night so they can play the sport they love and receive some great coaching.”

The six-a-side, 20-ball games, played with a tape ball, offer 16- to 24-year-olds the chance to play some seriously competitive indoor cricket with one participant, Farhan Hussain, saying: “This is my second year doing this. It’s good fun, pretty relaxed and great for socialising. We can get three games in over the course of an evening and Edgbaston have been brilliant.”

Coach Waqas Khan adds: “I’m a safeguarding officer in a secondary school as well as a Chance to Shine coach so I know the importance of initiatives like this. A lot of these kids have had Chance to Shine embedded in their lives since they were eight or so and we are seeing the benefits now. If they weren’t doing this, they might well just be meeting up on the streets. We have been able to build up real trust with the players and their families, and we now even offer free taxis where appropriate to and from the venue to give those families that extra peace of mind.”

He adds: “We had two teams of refugees last year, and although it is predominantly South Asian, the league is open to all cultures and we’ve probably had more than 300 youngsters involved since we started.”

Warwickshire Cricket Foundation’s community programmes manager Evie Harrison concludes: “We are aiming to make cricket and Edgbaston accessible to everyone, which means we need to think creatively about the programmes we offer. The Midnight Ramadan League offers a really competitive cricket experience."