Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan become first cricketers to join prestigious Harvard programme
After setting multiple records in the world of cricket, skipper Babar Azam and vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team Mohammad Rizwan have now become the first cricketers to ever join Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Programme on The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS).
The PCB shared the news in a press release. “The world number one ranked ODI batter and Captain of the Pakistan cricket team Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, the Vice Captain of the Pakistan Test cricket team, are the first cricketers to join the Harvard Business School’s executive education program, on The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS), with their mentor, the Saya Corporation Founder and CEO, Talha Rehmani.”
Babar and Rizwan will join the long list of celebrities and top sportspersons — such as Kaka Edwin van der Sar, Gerard Piqué, Oliver Kahn, NFL’s Brandon Marshall, NBA’s Miami Heat teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, and Hollywood A-listers including Channing Tatum and LL Cool J, Major League Baseball’s Alex Rodriguez, NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, and Pau Gasol — who have participated in the prestigious programme.
“The trio is representing Pakistan and the cricket world among a myriad of global movers and shakers in sports, media, and entertainment,” the press release added.
The programme will take place from May 31 to June 3 at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. They trio will also take part in various community activities in the US after the programme till June 13.
Both cricketers expressed a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement about the opportunity.
“I am a lifelong learner and I have had detailed chats about this programme with Prof. Elberse and [Talha] Rehmani. My inspiration for joining this world-class programme at Harvard is to connect, explore, listen, learn, grow, and give back to the community worldwide. I am sure there are scores of things to learn from the amazing athletes and top business executives from the entertainment, media, and sports industries who are coming from corners of the world,” said Babar, the top ODI batter in the world.
“It is a huge honour to represent Pakistan on such a prestigious global stage. We are going to the BEMS programme at Harvard to learn from the best of the best in the world — both in terms of faculty and programme fellows — and at the same time to share our journey and learnings with everyone. I am certain that this will be an exciting journey, and I look forward to sharing our learning and experiences with the next superstars of the cricket world,” said Rizwan, the no. 2 men’s T20i batsman in the world.
“I am delighted to be able to welcome Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan to the Harvard Business School and to the BEMS programme,” said Professor Anita Elberse, who is the programme chair. “We think the other participants will benefit greatly from their experiences as world-class athletes with a strong interest in the business world.”
