Saidat Hamzat Becomes 1,000,000th Player in Cricket's Global Push

At first, cricket was a strange game to Saidat Hamzat.

From her classroom window at Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School in Itire, Lagos, the 13-year-old watched coaches introduce this new sport to her classmates. She saw people standing around, someone running with a bat while others chased a ball, but she didn’t get what was going on. She had no idea that this strange-looking game would turn into a passion for her and help her become a key figure in a major cricket milestone.

Now, Hamzat is no longer just a spectator. The Junior Secondary School 3 student is the one-millionth participant in the International Cricket Council’s grassroots development programme, criiio. This marks a big achievement for the sport as it seeks to reach new fans worldwide.

Her journey started when an ICC-supported criiio Festival came to her school. This changed her view of cricket from an unfamiliar sport to an exciting event filled with music, laughter, and participation.

“I remember the first time I saw cricket. Some coaches came to our school to teach the game. I was in my classroom, and I kept looking at them through the window, wondering, ‘What are they really doing?’ The game looked strange to me, people standing around, someone running with a stick, others chasing a ball. I didn’t understand it at all,” Hamzat told ICC Media Zone.

That curiosity soon turned into a desire to join in.

“Then one day, the coaches and a few other officials came to our school for a criiio Cricket Festival. The energy was different. There was music, laughter and so many students participating. That was the moment that truly caught my attention.

“I knew I had to be part of it. I went to my games teacher and told him, ‘I want to play cricket.’

“After I told my sports teacher I wanted to play, he included me in the school cricket team. Just like that, I became a cricketer. Since that day, I have been part of the team, and I have loved every moment of it.”

Hamzat’s rise as the milestone participant is especially meaningful for Nigeria. Cricket is growing in the country through school programs, grassroots festivals, and development efforts.

According to the ICC, Nigeria has over 50,000 participants in the criiio programme. The global number of one million participants is evenly split between male and female players.

Like many young athletes, Hamzat faces challenges, especially with getting to training sessions. Transportation is one of her biggest struggles.

“Playing cricket is not always easy. One of the biggest challenges I face is transportation. After school, when I need to go to the field for practice, I often have to ask my parents for help with transportation.

“Most times, when I go to meet my parents to please help me get to the field, it is always challenging for them. But they still try their best to ensure I go to my practice. I am grateful for that.”

Despite the challenges, Hamzat's passion for cricket has not faded. The sport has become a big part of her life. She has represented her school in competitions and has introduced some classmates to the game.

“Cricket has given me purpose, discipline and joy; it has changed my life,” she said.

“It makes me happy, and now I speak up more. My friends notice me and, at school, I’m the cricket-mad girl!”

Her mother, Aisha Hamzat, has seen the change in her daughter. She spoke about Saidat's love for sports and the positive impact cricket has had on her.

“My daughter is someone who is always passionate about sports. One day, she came back home and told me she had joined the cricket team at her school. I didn’t have a choice, I had to support her,” she said.

“We see a happier daughter now, and that came from criiio. One day, I hope to see her in a Nigeria jersey.”

For the ICC, Hamzat’s story shows what criiio aims to achieve. The goal is to take cricket beyond its usual places, introducing it to children who may never get the chance to play and creating chances for everyone to join in.

Launched in 2021, criiio is the ICC’s entry-level cricket programme. It’s built on the idea that cricket can be played ‘anytime, anywhere, by anyone’. The free and flexible curriculum is available in 18 languages. It is made to help schools and communities where cricket is still growing.

The programme has reached one million players worldwide. This led the ICC to set up criiio Day, a yearly celebration of grassroots cricket on November 1.

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said, “We are proud of the impact that criiio has had in just five years. It is a truly transformative programme, showing how playing can bring communities together and change lives while keeping fun at its core. At its heart is a simple but powerful belief: ‘anytime, anywhere, anyone’, universal access to our sport as a game, pastime or leisure, with no barriers. Reaching one million criiio participants shows what is possible when this belief is backed by the commitment of our members, partners and the ecosystem with proper support.”