England Cricket Board hosts first-ever Iftar event at Lord's

April 21 turned out to be a momentous day for the Muslim community with a welcome step from the England Cricket Board (ECB). The ECB organized its first-ever Iftar party in the Long Room of the Lord's Cricket Ground to bridge the gap between the sport and the Muslim community.

Commentators Aatif Nawaz and Tameena Hussain acted as the event hosts, with the England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan marking his presence as well.

After the racism scandal of Azeem Rafiq at the Yorkshire Cricket Club, the board has been trying to promote inclusion and diversity in sports. The attendees hailed ECB's move to unite the Muslim community and improve their image on the international stage.

The Muslim and non-Muslim guests shared an evening meal after the sunset and broke the day's fast. Iman Rahman of London Central Mosque recited the Maghrib prayer.

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi lauded the efforts of the ECB and expressed his thoughts on Sky Sports' video of the event on Twitter. "It's indeed an incredible step and must be thoroughly appreciated and acknowledged by all. Kudos to England Cricket Board for coming forward in reconnecting with the Muslim community," said Afridi.

"To hear Azaan in the long room, home of cricket, it really gave me goosebumps, and I will remember it for a long time. Well done to the ECB and the whole team, and the steps like these really start making feel like the game is starting to shift in a different direction," Azeem mentioned in the video. 

In the same clip, Morgan said, "In the England white-ball team, we have had an amazing diverse squad, and we've got a fantastic changeroom. The players get to learn about different cultures, faiths, backgrounds, countries."

"But outside of our own group, we need to get better to show the support to the local communities, and today Ramadan being a huge part of the year for Muslims, it's great we can home here and be a part," Morgan concluded.