Ashes star Anderson bowled over as Maasai play to change society

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”

So said legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly back in the 60s.

Exchange “football” for “cricket”, goalposts for stumps, Anfield for Kenya and remove the tongue from the cheek.

Finally, replace cricket whites with traditional Maasai warrior dress and you really do have a sport that is a matter of life and death and to show just how much, newly-released documentary “Warriors” charts the progress of a native Kenyan team who are playing it for social change.

It is a cause that caught the imagination of England’s record wicket taker James Anderson who attended the premiere in London and who was an executive producer.

Directed by Barney Douglas – who made the popular Graeme Swann Ashes diaries – Warriors shows how the new generation of Maasai are looking to break with tradition and move into the 21^st century.

They are using cricket to highlight the fight against HIV/Aids and promote the rights of women in a country where, traditionally, men have dominated.

Forced marriages and the ancient practice of female genital mutilation are common – even among girls as young as eight, leaving Maasai captain Sonyanga Ole Ngais to reflect: “In our society, women or girls are treated as inferior. That is something we have to change.

“We are not saying abandon all our good culture, only harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. It is very hard to go against the elders but cricket is giving us that courage and confidence.

“We are very proud to of what it means to be a Maasai and that is why we play in our traditional robes.”

Warriors follows the team from Ilpolei, Mount Kenya, after they are invited to play at Lord’s for the Last Man Stands World Championship.

Anderson, who has taken 406 Test wickets for England, would like to have done more in the making of the film but admitted: “I was involved in very little of what you see on the screen.

“I am so happy for Barney because I know how hard he has worked on it and I have been able to help in other ways. It’s a fantastic story and he’s done a great job telling it.”

Anderson added: “The Maasai are trying to use cricket to get some sort of power in their lives as the elders are stuck in their ways from years and years ago.

“These young guys want to change things and by coming over to England and using cricket they can get some respect from their elders back in Kenya.

“I saw this as an opportunity to use cricket to do some good. Cricket has been very kind to me in the past 14 years that I have been a professional and have been very fortunate to have played it as a career.

“These guys have a passion for cricket despite very poor facilities, very little kit and some travel for four hours on a motorbike with kit bags strapped to their back just to practice.

“To see such passion for a sport that I love reminded me of why I started playing in the first place.”

Anderson had initially hoped to travel to Kenya but his England commitments meant this was not possible.

He added: “Barney kept sending me pictures and updates. I wanted to get involved because I feel something good could come of it and have been delighted to be able to share my passion for the game of cricket with them.”

Douglas was delighted to make a film that highlighted “gender equality, human rights, the power of sport.”

He added: “It’s a hopeful, inspirational film with a global message – that young people have a role to play in shaping their world, that they have rights and that they can be leaders.”