GMU’s Hashim Khan – a 2011 College Player of the Year !
Hashim Khan, George Mason University Cricket Captain
2011 was a great year for Hashim Raza Khan – President Obama made him an American citizen for winning the national title at the American College Cricket Spring Break Championship ! (just kidding !).
Hashim’s George Mason Patriots did win the Chanderpaul Trophy for the national title, then later in the year he did become an American citizen – now he’s a 2011 American College Cricket Player of the Year !
The first time Hashim Khan and I spoke, was in early 2009, when I was trying to create teams for the first American College Cricket Spring Break Championship – I had announced a national Championship in Dec 2008, but there were no real college teams to play !
We didn’t get a GMU team for March 2009, but Hashim came to New York to play on a College All Star team that summer. Then together we worked on making a team for the 2010 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship.
For various reasons an official club was not established at Mason until 2011, so at school Hashim did practically all the organising. Bringing cricketers who play in local leagues into a college team presents challenges, as a college club has different expectations and responsibilities beyond on field play.
In the 2010 Spring Break nationals the George Mason Patriots missed making the final four by only 1 Bonus point, but Hashim never complained about losing the opportunity so narrowly.
Then later, in the first 2010 Mid Atlantic regional a strong North Carolina State Wolfpack team devoured the GMU Patriots in the Finals, but the disappointment again only fueled Hashim’s determination to win the Chanderpaul Trophy in Florida !
Hashim put together sponsorship for both Spring Break trips by the Mason team, and at school pressed for a cricket field to be included in the university’s planned new sports complex.
Then after spending a week in South Beach partying….er.. I mean, preparing intensely for the 2011 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship, Hashim led the Patriots to take a national title home to George Mason University.Two Washington Post’s columnists wrote about the accomplishment !
Mason players like Shabir Adrali also took part in a presentation to school kids attending the Championship.
Later Hashim committed his team to playing at the Cricket Weekend at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Cricket Exhibition: “Swinging Away – how cricket and baseball connect”. However the game was cancelled due to lack of a field in Cooperstown, close to the Hall of Fame.
So far we have not mentioned Hashim’s actual on field play! He is a top all rounder who opens the bowling and batting. In March he took 9 wickets and bowled well, but only batted once, in the Finals, scoring 24. Unselfish captain that he is, he bats low in the order to give his other talented batsmen opportunities.
He said, “Winning the national Championship was a dream come through, and I’m happy I’m the first Captain to start this tradition at George Mason. I thought my team was the best of the best in college cricket, and did exceptionally well to make their University proud.”
From the beginning Hashim Khan has shown a strong understanding of what American College Cricket is about, and is always ready to do his part. He is truly an American College Cricket Player of the Year, as not just the Captain of 2011 National Champions George Mason University, but as the architect of its title-winning cricket club.
Largely through Hashim Khan’s efforts, George Mason went, in just over 2 years, from having no cricket team to a national Championship and national, even International, recognition ! Next, a cricket field as part of the sports complex !
Hashim will graduate in 2012 or spring 2013 with a major in Finance. He currently also works as a Budget controller for an IT firm.
