In just eight years since its inception, Alby Zalmi Cricket Club has emerged as one of Sweden’s most successful cricket clubs, with a remarkable feat that includes both men’s and women’s teams. What sets them apart? It is their youth-driven approach that has become the catalyst for success, making Alby Zalmi a force to be reckoned with in Swedish cricket.
Two years ago, their men’s team qualified for the European cricket series in Spain, and recently, their women’s team was crowned T20 champions. In addition to that, their Swedish T10 championship victory earlier this summer in Umeå.
At the helm of Alby Zalmi is Areeba Khan, serving as both the chairperson and the captain of the club. She is the driving force behind the women’s team’s success. During our interview, she emphasized the significance of unity, a key factor contributing to their achievements.
”We have a great reputation, we enjoy each other’s company on the field, and it is exciting that everyone is young,” Areeba Khan says.
Areeba underscores also the importance of youth in the club’s success. When she first started playing cricket, there were few female players. Therefore, she trained with a men’s team. However, when she eventually found a women’s team, she was the youngest player. This is not the case at Alby, where Areeba, at 25, is the eldest in the team.
”When I started the women’s team, my goal was to attract youth born in Sweden. Now, we have truly achieved that goal because it is the young ones who will carry it forward,” she explains.
Turning to youth seems to be a successful recipe right now. Several clubs, not only in women’s cricket but also in men’s, have a healthy mix of experienced and younger players. We previously reported about Gothenburg Cricket Club’s women who recruited players through social media, the majority of whom belonged to Generation Z.
In Alby’s case, their reputation plays a significant role in why they have managed to attract so many young players, Areeba reveals.
”The club’s culture is excellent, so they want to be a part of it”, she explains. “It’s not me who has brought in the girls; many have switched from other clubs. They say, ’You are young, you have great unity, and you have fun on the field.’ When you have a young, female leader with the drive to form a team, young girls are automatically drawn to it.”
She continues, ”I have also noticed that girls from the subcontinent never find belonging in other sports. But when it comes to cricket, we meet people with the same culture, and it creates a completely different environment.”
Since 2020, when Areeba and Alby Zalmi began their work to establish a women’s team, the trajectory has been pointing consistently upward. The diversity within the club is significant; it is not just girls with origins from the subcontinent who represent the club.
”I have not put in effort to specifically attract Pakistanis or others; I have focused on youth. Background does not matter. Our foundations in the club are strong, and that attracts players,” says Areeba Khan.
The diversity and their efforts to engage a large number of youth in sports are also appreciated by the municipality.
”We as a club stand out. The municipality listens to us and wants to collaborate with us. We have winter games at schools where children can come and try cricket, and we are always visible and ready to participate whenever we have the opportunity,” concludes Areeba Khan.
Photograph: Personal
