Get To Know Your Captains: Moosa Vakil
Over recent weeks we’ve heard directly from our captains ahead of pre-season. Next up, Hamilton Crescent XI captain Moosa Vakil tells us more about our 3rd XI’s ambitions for 2026.
Moosa Vakil, Hamilton Crescent XI Captain 2026
Moosa was nominated to take on the third side’s captaincy role for the second season in a row and, reflecting on last season, he recognised that it was challenging. “On a personal level, an ankle ligament tear early in the season meant I couldn’t bowl for the rest of the year, which was frustrating as a captain and a fast bowler. I wasn’t able to lead from the front in the way I wanted, but I tried to contribute in other ways through my batting, leadership, and keeping the group focused.”
This had an impact on performances, “Finishing seventh out of ten wasn’t where we hoped to be, and we struggled to find consistent momentum. We had good moments, but unfortunately we couldn’t turn them into full performances often enough.”
Whilst player avaliability was challenging, the Scottish weather didn’t help. “We had to reshuffle the team many times, which made it hard to build stability but let’s just say the weather had a better season than we did.
But there were still many positives. “The squad showed great resilience, and several players stepped up whenever we were in trouble. Also, a special thanks to our very talented women’s team players who contributed to our XI quite a few times.” A few players had particularly successful seasons, “Mamoon Hussain was deservedly our Player of the Season, finishing as our highest wicket-taker. The youngster Himansh, along with James, was impressive, giving us stability in the middle order and rebuilding innings when we needed it most.”
Moosa also chose to call out his vice captain Manish Kaushik, “He has been a brilliant asset to this club and team over the years with his all round ability on the field. He has always made things easier for me out there.“
Looking ahead Moosa noted his pride in the team, showing “character by accepting our mistakes and failures. So next season is about growth, correction, and ambition. We want to learn from everything that went wrong, particularly our mistakes, lapses, and inconsistencies. Our preseason training will be focusing on these points. The aim is simple: play smarter, play harder, and show what this team is truly capable of. “
