Spirit of cricket shines in Mumbai

Date released: 18 December 2008

One of the shelter's children makes good use of Liam's cricket kit A young MCC cricketer has been coaching cricket to street children in Mumbai.

Liam O’Driscoll, who has recently graduated from Cambridge University - one of MCC’s six University Centres of Cricketing Excellence - has played fourteen games for the Club in two years in the hope of qualifying for full playing membership.

Since graduating, Liam has been working as a volunteer at the Shelter Don Bosco in Mumbai, and one of his tasks has been to provide cricket coaching for the street children he works with.

Who's coaching whom: Liam (right) and the kids talk spin The kids have been kitted out with Liam’s old junior kit, and despite the shortage of equipment and proper cricket balls, the coaching has been a great success.

After the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, MCC received the sad news that fourteen members of the Cricket Club of India (CCI), which is based in the city, had been killed.

MCC played the CCI on tours of India and was always welcomed with open arms. It is therefore especially pleasing to know that cricket is continuing as a force for good in the city.

Liam and the Don Bosco Shelter 'squad' Complete with his MCC Spirit of Cricket t-shirt, Liam has been an excellent ambassador for the Club.

As an MCC tourist to Denmark in the summer, he has previous experience of spreading MCC’s message of playing hard and fair, whilst having fun, to cricketers in foreign lands.

MCC went on six overseas tours in 2008 and will undertake four in 2009. Each year MCC’s ‘squad’ of more than 2,000 playing members plays around 500 matches around the UK against international, club and school opposition.

Find out more about MCC Membership.