Ex-Nottinghamshire cricketeer volunteers to help after Morocco earthquake
Bilal Shafayat is helping distribute aid and essential supplies
Former Nottinghamshire batter Bilal Shafayat is bound for Morocco to help distribute aid and essential supplies in the aftermath of last week's earthquake.
Shafayat, who made 162 appearances for Notts and whose wife hails from the North African nation, is to spend an initial five days delivering resources to those most in need after the disaster.
The quake struck 44 miles south-west of Marrakesh on Friday, and is the largest the area has witnessed since 1900.
The 39-year-old admitted he felt compelled to act after news of the 6.8-magnitude quake broke on Friday.
He said: "With it being so close to home for my family, and we were discussing how good it would be to go out and help wherever we could,” he said.
“My friend is a director of a charity called As Suffa, who do a lot of work wherever there’s emergency aid needed.
He said: "Throughout the season I’ve taken an interest in the stuff he’s been doing, but you have to be spontaneous when things like this happen.
“Everything added up – my eldest is back at school, and my wife said ‘I’ll handle the ship here, just go and do what you can.'
“It will be As Suffa’s first time douig aid work in Morocco – they’ve been in places like Lebanon, Syria and Turkey before, but not to Morocco – so with me having been going out to Morocco for a little while, hopefully I can add some benefit to the trip.”
“With charity work, I like to know where the money is going, so it’s a nice feeling to know that I will be physically distributing the resources that we’re able to secure with the money we raise.
“We’ll be out there for at least five days – with teams in the Atlas Mountains near the epicentre, and groups helping to source supplies – but if needs be we’ll be back afterwards to keep helping in the areas that need it most.”
Shafayat grew up in Nottingham and started his career at County Cricket Club, before moving to to play for the likes of Northamptonshire, Hampshire and Shropshire.