Javid's Passion Fires Cornwall

Cornwall’s spectacular coastline and the streets of inner-city Birmingham may seem worlds apart but they are being linked  by Ateeq Javid’s passion for developing talented cricketers. 

The former Warwickshire and Leicestershire batter has established his own coaching academy in Birmingham since his 11-year first-class playing career ended three years ago and he is now combining that role with dual responsibilities as professional and coach of National Counties side Cornwall. 

Javid, 30, had never set foot on Cornish soil before he linked up with the county in April and although he usually has to travel further for home matches than for Cornwall’s away games, he has now become accustomed to making the long trip down the M5 and A30 and arriving at the team hotel in the early hours of Sunday mornings. 

“I put a lot of videos online about the work that do with my academy and the kids that I work with in Birmingham and out of the blue I got a message on Instagram from Scott Harvey, Cornwall’s captain, asking if I was interested in playing for them,” Javid said. 

“When I started talking to them they were really keen and they then offered me the coaching role as well. 

“They said that I was exactly what they were looking for, someone who is passionate and willing to bring on the youngsters. 

“I played all my cricket around the Midlands area and I thought that it would be something different playing down in Cornwall and a very different challenge. 

“I’d never been to Cornwall before, not even on holiday. It’s very different to Birmingham that’s for sure. 

“All the lads say that I didn’t know how far away it was but I am enjoying every minute of it. 

“There’s a limit to how much I can do on matchdays with the lads but there is so much potential in the squad. 

“There’s a lot of travel and the away games are easier for me but they are a great bunch of lads, they have are keen to work hard and get better and I’m enjoying working with them. 

“They’ve got really good skills, it’s just a case of putting them all together and getting them to be a bit more consistent. 

“It’s about improving little things that can save you 15 or 20 runs in the field but which can make the difference between winning and losing games.” 

Having Godfrey Furse, a legend of Cornish cricket who made more than 100 appearances for the county, as Cornwall’s team manager has also helped Javid to settle into his new roles. 

“Godfrey is amazing. He doesn’t get the credit he is due,” Javid said. 

“Sometimes people like Godfrey, who does so much for the club, don’t get noticed or appreciated for what they do. 

“He is so passionate about the county and everything he does, he does it from the heart. I really enjoy sitting down and talking to him about cricket and Cornish cricket in particular.” 

Javid is now passing on his own experience both in Cornwall and back in Birmingham where he hopes he can help unearth similarly talented youngsters in the city’s inner-city areas. 

He played his formative cricket at the Aston Manor club – as did Chris Woakes – before being signed by Warwickshire straight from school as a 16-year-old. 

During his nine years at Edgbaston, Javid played in two Lord’s finals and two T20 Finals Days – winning one of each - and was also part of the extended squad that won the County Championship ten years ago. 

His two seasons with Leicestershire may have been less successful but Javid’s passion for cricket remains undimmed. 

“I’ve done quite a lot of work with the Warwickshire Cricket Board and the King Edward’s Schools Foundation who made their facilities at Camp Hill, Edgbaston and Aston available to the primary schools in their area every week,” he said. 

“It’s a really good project but, unfortunately, my mother has been very ill recently, so I have been looking after her. 

“She’s much better now, thankfully, so I’m hoping to get back involved with that project, trying to get the youngsters from the primary schools in those areas into local clubs so that they keep playing cricket. 

“My first-class career is over but I really want to give something back to the game because I have been so lucky and it’s important to make sure that other kids get similar opportunities. 

“The passion to play cricket and succeed is there in Birmingham, it’s about giving them that platform to excel and the belief that, if they get their head down, they can succeed. 

“You can have talent but that only gets you so far. You also need to have the desire to keep pushing yourself and to enjoy your cricket. 

“Cricket can be hard work, going from a Championship game to a one-day game, there’s lots of travelling and also lots of ups and downs. But what keeps you going is how much you love the game. 

“When I was playing county cricket, even if I had to play 30 days on the bounce, I still enjoyed it because I was doing something that I loved.”