‘It’s cricket, cricket, cricket’: Alam Ratan on bringing ‘the gentleman’s game’ to Tower Hamlets’ children
Former Bangladesh national cricketer Alam Ratan on being CEO of the charity Capital Kids Cricket, his earliest cricket memories and being a Freeman of the City.
Shahidul Alam Ratan, 55, is a busy man. Sitting at the desk of his Whitechapel office, he eats his lunch while responding to emails. Our meeting is just one of the many he has scheduled for today.
When asked what he does when he isn’t working, Ratan sighs and takes a while to respond.
‘I don’t know,’ he says eventually.
‘Mostly, it’s cricket, cricket, cricket.’
Ratan grew up in Mymensingh, a city in Bangladesh.
He started playing cricket in primary school and went on to play at a high level, representing the Bangladesh national team three times.
As a coach, he was equally successful, working for the Bangladesh Cricket Board and taking Malaysia Under-19s to the World Cup.
During his time in Malaysia, he was headhunted by Capital Kids Cricket, a London-based cricket charity. In 2008, he accepted a job offer and moved to London.
He has been the CEO since 2015.
CKC was founded in 1989 and is a charity dedicated to providing cricket opportunities to deprived communities, using sport as a vehicle for social change and personal development. Ever since 2024, they have had a community hub in Whitechapel.
But the connection between CKC and Tower Hamlets runs deeper than that.
A long time ago, Tower Hamlets, a historically working-class area, was identified by CKC as a borough that needed help.
For Ratan, it’s more personal.
When he first started working for CKC, he lived in Stepney. He claims to have worked in almost every school in the borough. He says that ‘Tower Hamlets was my first love,’ and even calls it his ‘backyard’ like a true Eastender.
As well as working in twenty primary and faith schools, running an annual Year 6 cricket competition and an annual cricket day for schools in the E1 area, CKC provides support to Tower Hamlets Cricket Club. Only last November, thanks largely to the persistence of Ratan, they helped secure the team a new designated home pitch in Victoria Park.
Despite dedicating much of his life to cricket, Ratan was the first of his five siblings to play the sport. His father played football and his older siblings never took an interest in the game. It was only when the family moved to Mymensingh, where there was ‘a culture of cricket,’ that he started playing.
‘It’s thanks to Mymensingh that I am here talking to you today,’ Ratan says.
Reflecting on his time playing cricket as a child, Ratan’s face lights up, and it’s clear how much the sport means to him.
One of his earliest memories is watching the Marylebone Cricket Club play a match in Mymensingh. ‘I have no idea who took me’, but clearly proud of this fact, he says, ‘I was there … probably this is when I first fell in love with the sport.”
Another memory that stands out is playing as a child and comparing himself to Belalyet Hossain, a famous Bangladeshi cricketer of the 80s. Smiling as he tells the story, Ratan recalls boasting to his friend that he hit just like him, even though he had never actually seen him play.
Decades and some 5,000 miles separate Ratan from these memories.
Most of his time now is spent working.
‘It’s 24/7,’ he says.
During the day, he focuses on building partnerships and securing funding for the charity. In the evenings and on weekends, he dedicates himself to coaching and delivering CKC’s projects.
‘It’s a lot of stress,’ he says, but ‘it is good stress. I’m a guy that wants to help people.’
According to Andrew Miller, UK editor of ESPNcricinfo, there aren’t many cricket projects in Tower Hamlets that Ratan hasn’t got ‘his hands on.’
This hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
In 2020, the Kia Oval, home of Surrey County and one of England’s biggest cricket venues, was named after him for 24 hours. This was in recognition of the work Ratan did during lockdown, providing digital material to keep kids active and social during the pandemic.
A year later, he was awarded with the Freedom of the City of London, an award given to people who have achieved success and recognition in their field.
When asked about these awards, Ratan is very modest.
‘Of course, I am very proud but if I didn’t work for this organisation it wouldn’t have happened.’
Ratan is now in his seventeenth year as CEO. He has seen the organisation grow from a shed in his backyard to an office on Cavell Street in Whitechapel.
His goal for the future is not more awards or recognition but to ensure CKC continues after him. ‘I want to make CKC sustainable before I retire,’ he says.
Certainly, this will not be easy.
But if anyone can do it, Ratan can.
If you liked this, read After 15 long years, Tower Hamlets Cricket Club finally gets its long-awaited home pitch in Victoria Park
