Asif Din
Encyclopedia
Mohamed Asif Din is a former English cricket
er who played county cricket for Warwickshire
from 1981 to 1995. A right-handed batsman and occasional legbreak bowler, he is most famous for scoring a hundred and winning the man-of-the-match award in the 1993 Natwest Trophy final, widely regarded as the best domestic final.
, was expelled from the country in 1972
by Idi Amin
. His family arrived in England with £50 to their name.
Asif began playing second XI for Warwickshire in the 1978 season and was introduced to the first team in 1981, making his first-class
debut against Yorkshire
. He finished his debut season with 878 runs at an average of 26.60. The following season he made a maiden first-class century, against a Middlesex
bowling attack containing Wayne Daniel
he scored 102 in a team total of 174.
It would be five years before his second first-class century but Asif followed this with a third in Warwickshire's next three day match a week later. The season was the first in which Asif passed 1,000 runs. He reached that landmark for a second, and only other, time the following season when he scored 1,425 runs at 38.51.
For the rest of his career Asif had more success in List A cricket (one-day cricket). In 1990 he scored 792 runs at 46.58, and was Warwickshire's leading runscorer in all three limited-overs competitions. The following season he scored 682 runs at 45.46 in one-day cricket, the tally contained two centuries including his highest List A score of 137.
Asif's seventh and last one-day century was the most significant as it came in the final of the 1993 Natwest Trophy. Sussex batting first had set Warwickshire a target of 322 in 60 overs, Asif came to the wicket at 93/3 and shared partnerships
first with Paul Smith
and then Dermot Reeve
to take his side to 306 by the time of his dismissal for 104. Warwickshire went on to win the match off the final ball and Asif was adjudged the man of the match.
On Warwickshire's tour of Zimbabwe prior to the 1994 season Asif made his highest first-class innings, against a Mashonaland XI he scored 217, 204 of them on a single day. On the previous year's tour of South Africa Asif had taken his career best bowling figures of 5/61 against Boland.
Asif was a member of the Warwickshire squad that completed the treble in 1994, he played in the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup
and made 12 appearances in the Sunday League. In the County Championship
triumph he played three matches but failed to pass 50 in four innings. The season also marked Asif's benefit year from which he received £116,853.
After three final one-day appearances for Warwickshire in 1995, Asif played minor counties cricket
for Shropshire
from 1996 until 2001, in this period he played seven List A matches for the club in the early rounds of the Natwest Trophy.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played county cricket for Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
from 1981 to 1995. A right-handed batsman and occasional legbreak bowler, he is most famous for scoring a hundred and winning the man-of-the-match award in the 1993 Natwest Trophy final, widely regarded as the best domestic final.
Career
Asif, like thousands of Ugandan AsiansIndians in Uganda
There are currently over 12,000 people of Indian origin living in Uganda, but this is a far cry from their heyday. In the late 1890s, over 30,000 Indians, mostly Sikhs, were brought on 3 year contracts to build the Uganda Railway from Mombasa to Kisumu by 1901, and to Kampala by 1931. Some died,...
, was expelled from the country in 1972
Expulsion of Asians in Uganda in 1972
On 4 August 1972, the then President of Uganda, Idi Amin, ordered the expulsion of his country's Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave Uganda...
by Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
. His family arrived in England with £50 to their name.
Asif began playing second XI for Warwickshire in the 1978 season and was introduced to the first team in 1981, making his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
. He finished his debut season with 878 runs at an average of 26.60. The following season he made a maiden first-class century, against a Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
bowling attack containing Wayne Daniel
Wayne Daniel
Wayne Wendell Daniel played 10 Tests and 18 One Day Internationals for the West Indies.A hostile and muscular fast bowler, Daniel seemed assured of a long and potent test career when he, in partnership with the lithe Michael Holding and the brooding Andy Roberts, battered England into submission...
he scored 102 in a team total of 174.
It would be five years before his second first-class century but Asif followed this with a third in Warwickshire's next three day match a week later. The season was the first in which Asif passed 1,000 runs. He reached that landmark for a second, and only other, time the following season when he scored 1,425 runs at 38.51.
For the rest of his career Asif had more success in List A cricket (one-day cricket). In 1990 he scored 792 runs at 46.58, and was Warwickshire's leading runscorer in all three limited-overs competitions. The following season he scored 682 runs at 45.46 in one-day cricket, the tally contained two centuries including his highest List A score of 137.
Asif's seventh and last one-day century was the most significant as it came in the final of the 1993 Natwest Trophy. Sussex batting first had set Warwickshire a target of 322 in 60 overs, Asif came to the wicket at 93/3 and shared partnerships
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
first with Paul Smith
Paul Smith (cricketer)
Paul Andrew Smith born April 15, 1964 in Gosforth, Northumberland is a former English cricketer who played for Warwickshire from 1982 to 1996....
and then Dermot Reeve
Dermot Reeve
Dermot Alexander Reeve OBE is an English former cricketer, best known as an unorthodox all-rounder and, until recently, coach of the New Zealand side, Central Districts....
to take his side to 306 by the time of his dismissal for 104. Warwickshire went on to win the match off the final ball and Asif was adjudged the man of the match.
On Warwickshire's tour of Zimbabwe prior to the 1994 season Asif made his highest first-class innings, against a Mashonaland XI he scored 217, 204 of them on a single day. On the previous year's tour of South Africa Asif had taken his career best bowling figures of 5/61 against Boland.
Asif was a member of the Warwickshire squad that completed the treble in 1994, he played in the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup
Benson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
and made 12 appearances in the Sunday League. In the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
triumph he played three matches but failed to pass 50 in four innings. The season also marked Asif's benefit year from which he received £116,853.
After three final one-day appearances for Warwickshire in 1995, Asif played minor counties cricket
Minor Counties Cricket Championship
The Minor Counties Cricket Championship is a season-long competition in England that is contested by those county cricket clubs that do not have first-class status...
for Shropshire
Shropshire County Cricket Club
Shropshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Shropshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
from 1996 until 2001, in this period he played seven List A matches for the club in the early rounds of the Natwest Trophy.