A mural depicting Birmingham Phoenix star, Abtaha Maqsood, has been unveiled at Marlborough Primary School in Small Heath.
The giant 16ft artwork was created by Midlands-born female graffiti mural artist Lucy Nutting and took over three days to paint freehand. The showcase feature of the work is a portrait of Abtaha who will be back in action for the Birmingham Phoenix for an action-packed second year of The Hundred.
Abtaha made history by becoming Britain’s first hijab-wearing Muslim female to play cricket at an international level. The mural, which takes pride of place in Marlborough Primary School’s playground, aims to inspire the next generation of female talent from the local area to pursue a career in sport.
Abtaha commented on the mural: “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 for unmissable home fixtures this summer from 10 August, as The Hundred returns to excite crowds with another year full of world-class sport and live entertainment for the whole family.
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. There is a lot of cricketing talent in the area already, so hopefully the new giant artwork will help inspire more children in the region to take up the sport!”
Craig Flindall, general manager for Birmingham Phoenix, added: “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. We hope it inspires people across the community, and hope they’ll be supporting Abtaha and the wider Birmingham Phoenix teams this summer.”
The Hundred offers visitors a memorable, fun-filled day out with fantastic sport, entertainment, and show-stopping moments to enjoy with family and friends. Tickets are great value for money, with adult tickets starting from just £18, £5 for under 16s, and under 6s go free.
For more information and to book tickets to Birmingham Phoenix’s home fixtures, please visit www.thehundred.com.
