During the holy month of Ramadan, we sat down with Zain ul Hasan, to ask him how he balances fasting, training, and cricket matches during Ramadan.
Hi Zain, thanks for joining us. How do you observe Ramadan?
We observe Ramadan by fasting between the hours of dawn and sunset. During that time, we are not allowed to eat or drink.
What adjustments do you make during Ramadan to balance training and matches with fasting?
The main adjustment I would make is with my training. That would be to train early morning right after eating at dawn or I will train later near to sun set so that I’ll do my training and eat. During matches, I’ll try to rest and recover during the breaks even if I have to take a cold shower or something to cool down. That does help.
When you are fasting, how do you stay focused and motivated during training and matches?
It can be tough, especially when you are dehydrated and later on in the day when the lack of food catches up with you, but, I guess it teaches you discipline and I feel like I can incorporate that into my cricket as well.
What personal rituals do you find meaningful during Ramadan and why?
Well, the month is a really special month for us. But personally, I find the night prayer that we observe during the month really really important and beneficial.
How do the team at Glamorgan help you to observe your faith in general?
They’ve been really supportive during my time here. Even outside Ramadan, around prayer times, they make me feel very comfortable to go and pray any time I need to. And of course, during Ramadan, I spoke to our Strength and Conditioning Coach and he’s given me a sort of a diet plan of what to eat during Suhoor and Iftaar. They have been really really supportive.