Small Heath school honours England’s first hijab-wearing cricketer with 16ft mural

A Small Heath school has honoured Birmingham Phoenix star, Abtaha Maqsood, with a giant mural.

The 16-ft artwork was created by Midlands-born female graffiti mural artist Lucy Nutting and is on display at Marlborough Primary School.

The freehand mural, which took over three days to be made, is a portrait of Abtaha who will be back in action for the Birmingham Phoenix for the second year of The Hundred.

Abtaha is the first hijab-wearing Muslim British female to play cricket at an international level. The mural aims to inspire the next generation of female talent from the local area to pursue a career in sport.

The cricketer said: “It’s an honour to have this incredible mural created, especially when representation matters more than ever before.

“It’s less than a month to go until we’re back at Edgbaston competing in this year’s competition, and I’m really excited to play in front of our home crowds again and feel the atmosphere of thousands of fans of all ages support us throughout The Hundred!”

Birmingham Phoenix’s men’s and women’s teams will be back in action at Edgbaston this summer from August 10, as The Hundred returns.

Rehana Yasmeen, deputy CEO of Leigh Trust, said: “We’re very proud to unveil this mural at Marlborough Primary school.

“It’s a wonderful tribute to Abtaha who is one of the most promising spin bowlers within The Hundred, and is such a positive role model for all our pupils across the five schools within Leigh Trust.”

Birmingham Phoenix’s general manager, Craig Flindall, said: “Abtaha is a renowned name in the sport and an incredibly talented cricketer, so we wanted to celebrate her and her achievements as part of the competition to-date with the creation of this stunning mural.”

Tickets for The Hundred start from just £18 for adults, £5 for under 16s, and under 6s go free.

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