Flintoff show cricketer eyeing England gifted car

A Lancashire teenager has been gifted a car by a local businessman to help with his ambition of becoming a professional cricketer.

Adnan Miakhel appeared in BBC TV series Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams and became the star bowler when ex-England captain Andrew Flintoff cobbled together a team of disadvantaged boys from Preston.

The 19-year-old, of Chorley, has since made his debut for Lancashire's Second XI, but relied on his foster parents to get to practice. He arrived in the UK as a 15-year-old Afghan refugee unable to speak English.

Dez Derry, who was also fostered, has given him a Volkswagen Golf saying he was "inspired by what Adnan's achieving" and "his dream of playing for England."

He had "always just believed in paying it forward", he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

When Miakhel arrived in the UK he already had talent for cricket.

He said off-the-pitch he had been struggling without a car of his own and was largely having to rely on his foster parents Elaine Jefferson and Barry Brocklehurst to ferry him to matches and training sessions.

Miakhel has recently finished Rossall School, in Fleetwood, and has put university aspirations on hold to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cricketer.

"The next 18 months are critical to my cricket career and that's why having my own car is so important," he said.

The allrounder signed for Newton-le-Willows Cricket Club this season and regularly clocks up 300 miles (about 480km) a week.

He said being given a car had "made my life so easy".

"I needed the car to give Barry a break because he's 85. He never said no to anything, but it's hard," he said.

"It's not just playing cricket, it's practice as well and going to the gym, so the car made a massive difference to my cricket journey."

Mr Derry was adopted with his two brothers in the late 1980s and they were believed to be the first Indian siblings to be adopted by a white family.

He became a charity ambassador for Adoption Matters and Foster Care Matters because of his own experiences and works to raise awareness of fostering and adoption.

"I was really moved by Adnan's foster parents Elaine and Barry, who instantly reminded me of my own white foster parents," he said.

"They changed our lives, just like Elaine and Barry are changing Adnan's life."

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