Abtaha Maqsood talks on managing ‘faith’ and ‘game’ together during Ramadan

For an athlete who routinely consumes more calories a day than some people do in a week, gorging on treats in a pre-dawn meal is surely scant sustenance for a long day’s graft, but Muslims believe any positive actions bring a greater reward as the month has been blessed by Allah.

Muslim footballers often display devotion and determination during the holy month of Ramadan, training and working as usual.

Whether playing in scorching heat or participating in high-stakes competitions, managing faith and cricket together really require big guts.

Similar is the case with Abtaha Maqsood, the 21-year-old Scotland cricketer who hit headlines after her pictures of wearing a hijab during the game went viral on social media.

In a recent interview, Abtaha Maqsood said, “It’s quite tough – it can be pretty intense at times.”

“It’s just knowing your limits and not overdoing it because obviously Ramadan is a quite important time for us and we want to fast as much as we can, but if that means it’s going to hurt us or affect our health, then we really need to think about that,”

Maqsood, who has taken 19 wickets in 14 T20 games for Scotland, added that her teammates “always have questions” but they always have her best interests at heart.

“They’re quite a curious bunch and I love that,” She said.