Bristol cricket coach Mohammed Razaq delighted to win award

Mohammed Razaq's dedicated work as a volunteer cricket coach in Bristol has been recognised with a prestigious national award.

Much to his surprise, the 52-year-old service engineer won the Building Partnerships category at the ECB's annual NatWest OSCAs (Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards) held recently at Lord's.

Razaq received a special certificate, inscribed glass trophy and bat signed by England's Alastair Cook who made the presentations.

Typically, though, there was precious little time for Razaq to reflect on his moment in the national spotlight as he returned home to Hanham to begin planning winter youth nets and a new academy-style set-up for his club Pak Bristolians.

He said: "Just to be nominated and to go to Lord's was brilliant, I never thought for a minute that I had a chance of winning. It was totally unexpected."

The award specifically recognises volunteers who build bridges through cricket between diverse religious, ethnic, economic and gender groups.

And Razaq fits that bill perfectly thanks to his tireless work on the Bristol Race Equality Forum, co-ordinating witha series of inner-city clubs, the Chance 2 Shine project and the popular Citi Cricket Week, which this year provided coaching for a record 75 youngsters aged from eight to 16.

Razaq also coaches the Bristol Youth League Under-13 representative side as well as spending countless hours working with junior players at Pak Bristolians.

He added: "Cricket is a wonderful way to break down any friction and bring people together, I look at it as a type of national unity.

"It doesn't matter what your background is or what language you speak – as soon as you walk out on to a ground or go to watch a game everyone is speaking the same language."

Razaq moved to Bristol from his native Pakistan as a 12-year-old, never having played the game. But an inspirational teacher – "Mr Haines, at Lockleaze School" – and a chance meeting changed everything.

He said: "I was mucking about playing on the streets of St Paul's. Guy Bailey saw me and soon I was with him at Bristol West Indians. From that point, I never looked back."

Razaq went on to become the captain of an extremely strong BWI youth team before joining the fledgling Bristol Pakistanis club in 1978 and then helping establish Pak Bristolians in 1993.

An off-spinner, he officially retired from playing in 2008 to concentrate on coaching, although he was twice persuaded to help out his club last season.

Jim and Sally Donaldson, the husband-and-wife team that acts as chairman and secretary, respectively, of the Bristol Youth League, were shortlisted in the Leagues and Boards section.