jack bannister

in fashion
county caps
for snapbacks
Saj Mahmood, the former England,
Lancashire and Essex fast bowler,
and former Warwickshire and
Worcestershire slow left-armer Shaaiq
Choudhry have swapped county caps for
snapbacks after launching new careers
in the fashion industry.
Mahmood and Choudhry have both helped to set up
rival lines with snapbacks – fashionable baseball
caps – helping to establish them in the marketplace.
Mahmood is now marketing director of Baulla, a
fashion label created by a friend who had worked in
the industry for more than 30 years.
Choudhry joined partners with a friend in his native
Rotherham to form Brothers Circle and his early
success in the business helped him to win one of the
pca Personal Development Scholarship Awards.
Although these are early days in their new
careers, both Mahmood and Choudhry are enjoying
life in the fashion industry making their mark with
their new brands.
“We started in December and got the word out on
social media. We weren’t sure what sort of response
we would get but people seem to love the logo and
the name,” Mahmood said.
“We got a little bit of stock in in December but
that sold out in two weeks so we had to re-order
everything.
“Thanks to cricket I am pretty well connected.
Playing for England almost 40 times opens a lot of
doors for you. I am in a privileged position where I
have made lots of good contacts through cricket and
hopefully I can utilise them in this business.”
Choudhry may not have enjoyed Mahomood’s profile
during his playing career but former team-mates,
as well as stars of television reality shows, have
helped him to promote the Brothers Circle brand.
“A number of reality television stars and sports
people are wearing our gear. We’ve had guys from
Geordie Shore, Ex On The Beach and Love Island
who have taken a liking to our stuff. That has
helped us a lot. They have posted on their social
media platforms as well so that has brought in a
bigger audience for us. Some of these guys have
got 100,000 followers and so that has raised our
profile,” he said
Choudhry began planning for life after cricket
before he was released by Worcestershire last
season and had worked closely with Lynsey
Williams, one of the PCA’s six-strong team of
Personal Development and Welfare Managers on
enrolling for a degree in graphic design with the
Interactive Design Institute.
Mahmood also discussed his plans with another
pca PDM Matthew Wood, the former Yorkshire and
Glamorgan batsman, before he joined Baulla.
www.baulla.com | www.brotherscircle.co.uk
• Baulla offer a 20 per cent discount to PCA
members – just enter the code PCA20.
• Brothers Circle offer a 15 per cent discount.
thepca.co.uk / BtB issue 18 55