All Nations Cricket giving back to the community

Abdul Razzaq is the founder of All Nations Social Cricket (ANSC) and a Cricket Australia Ambassador. Abdul and his wife are newly arrived from Pakistan and are seeking asylum in Australia. Both are part of Advocacy and Power Program and active volunteers in the community.

These interviews from All Nations Cricket team demonstrate the importance of social inclusion and community participation for people’s well being.

From victim to victor

Meet Cricket Australia’s ‘Sports for All’ Ambassador, Abdul Razzaq, and award winner, Shaber Ayobi. 

It was in 2014 when my wife was in hospital and slowly giving up on life.

She had been suffering with health issue since 2009 when she was diagnosed with a breast tumour and then with spinal disease. She was also suffering from mental illness especially after her mum died in 2012 after we arrived in Australia.

She wanted to finish her life and she was in a serious condition when we took her to Dandenong Hospital. She spent more than a month there and then received on going treatment for almost two years.

“We follow the philosophy, ‘Don’t Give Up Give Back!’ and both my wife and I went from ‘Victim to Victor!'”

Fortunately, we did not give up.

Since we had a new life in Australia I decided to give back instead.

We follow the philosophy, ‘Don’t Give Up Give Back!’ and both my wife and I went from ‘Victim to Victor!’

My wife got involved with ‘Thriving Women’ and I am began the ‘All Nations Social Cricket’.

In 2015 my film, Abdul, was nominated as a finalist for the International Short Film Festival Award. The film was shown in the Kino Cinema.

I also became a finalist in the Building Health Through Sport category for the 2016 VicHealth Awards and an award winner in 2017 for Cricket Australia’s Community Initiative of the Year.

I am volunteering at Monash Health Community Centre, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) and I am also a Community Leader and Cricket Australia Sports Ambassador.

I imagine just how much we can achieve if we stay positive and mentally strong even though tough circumstances, especially when we have no working rights, no income support or Medicare.

I have shared my photo as both a victim in 2014 when I first came to the ASRC, and now that I am feeling much better, stronger and younger I am Victor!

An interview with Shaber Ayobi from All Nations Cricket. 

Shaber Ahmad Ayobi is 19 years old, loves to play cricket and is attending TAFE.

In June this year, Shaber won the Springvale Refugee & Asylum Seeker Recognition Awards 2018 – Friends of Refugees Award for outstanding contribution to the Australian community.

Shaber’s work as a team leader and events manager for All Nations Social Cricket (ANSC) Dandenong has made him a happier person.

‘We create events to highlight social inclusion and give new people and new arrivals opportunities to get involved in cricket.’

‘Before I joined All Nations I was always at home, I never went out and I never played cricket,’ says Shaber.

‘It was a depressing part of my life.’

‘Now, I am involved with the community and I am always trying to give back.

‘It’s an honour.

Founder and President of All Nations Social Cricket, Adbul Razzaq began weekly cricket sessions as a way to bring vulnerable individuals and different communities together.

Their motto: Don’t give up, give back!

‘All Nations teaches us that life isn’t always about you,’ says Shaber.

‘It’s always about giving to others, you know?

‘We have to always be thinking about others and giving back to them.

‘We create events to highlight social inclusion and give new people and new arrivals opportunities to get involved in cricket.’

‘Don’t give up, give back, is what we practice and what we preach at All Nations.

‘I’ve learned a lot,’ Shaber says.

Springvale Refugee & Asylum Seeker Recognition Awards 2018 recognises individuals of a refugee and asylum seeker background for their outstanding contribution to the Australian community.

Get involved

Learn more about All Nations Social Cricket and contact allnationssocialcricket@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page @allnationssocialcricket.