Catholics v Muslims in Rome's first interfaith cricket match

(Vatican Radio) Sporting history was made in Rome at the weekend as an all-Muslim cricket team played against St Peter’s Cricket Club, comprised of Catholic seminarians in training for the priesthood. The St Peter’s XI was launched in 2013 under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for Culture, with ecumenical and interfaith relations as an important part of the club’s mission. The Mount Cricket Club from Yorkshire in the north of England was founded back in the 1970s by children of Asian immigrant families and is today involved in both charitable initiatives and wider community integration.

After a closely contested match at Rome’s Capannelle cricket ground, St Peter’s won by four runs, with the British and Australian ambassadors to the Holy See on hand to present both the winners’ trophy and the runners up cup. As the players strode out for the start of their historic match, Philippa Hitchen talked to the chairman of the Mount Cricket Club Hanif Mayat about the early days and about the potential of sport for promoting interfaith harmony today…

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Hanif explains that his cricketing journey began in 1970s white Britain, where an Indian Muslim stood little chance of joining a cricket club. However, his love of the sport led him and a friend to found the Mount Cricket Club, which continues to push boundaries and now also boasts its own girls’ team.

Whilst the introduction of women to the club has met with resistance from community elders, Hanif says it continues to address equality issues and is involved in initiatives to help the disabled and homeless.

He describes the game as a ‘language’ through which people of all different nationalities, colours and creeds can communicate and learn to respect one another. While Mount Cricket Club is made up of all Muslim members at the moment, anyone is welcome to join. Having started out with home-made bats, wickets and tennis balls, Hanif Mayat has proven his club is the one to beat within the wider context of building community cohesion and interfaith relations.