Umesh Valjee

{{short description|South African cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

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| name = Umesh Valjee

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| full_name = Umesh Damdor Valjee

| birth_date = {{b-da|30 September 1969}}

| birth_place =Durban, Natal, South Africa

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Umesh Damdor Valjee, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 30 September 1969 in Durban, Natal) is a South African-born English deaf cricketer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crichq.com/#players/1087500/statistics/career|title=CricHQ - Umesh Valjee career|website=CricHQ|language=en|access-date=2017-04-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Players/64/64703/64703.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com|access-date=2017-04-26}} He is a BSL user.

He is a right-handed batsman and very occasional right-arm medium pacer.{{cite web | url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/64/64703/64703.html | title=Players – Umesh Valjee | publisher=cricketarchive.com. CricketArchive | accessdate=29 February 2012}} Valjee came into professional cricket after being signed to British Deaf Sports Council in 1989. He is the longest-serving deaf cricketer of England, and wear the same shirt number (No. 1) as Tom Armitage—the first capped England player.{{cite web | url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/535158.html | title=The captain who paved the way with signs | publisher=espncricinfo.com. ESPNcricinfo | date=17 October 2011 | accessdate=29 February 2012 | author=Ugra, Sharda}}

Valjee is former captain of the England national deaf cricket team, and was awarded with the England Disability Cricketer of the Year in 2011.{{cite news | url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/development/disability-cricket/disability-cricket-news/valjee-hails-crowning-moment,317075,EN.html | title=Valjee hails crowning moment | accessdate=29 February 2012 | publisher=ecb.co.uk England and Wales Cricket Board}} He was also awarded an MBE in the 2011 New Year's Honours list for services to disabled sport.{{cite web |title=Umesh Valjee rewarded with MBE |url=http://club-cricket.co.uk/news/details/49 |website=club-cricket.co.uk}}

He was one of the torchbearers at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.{{cite news |title=Olympic Torch: Day 69 |url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2012-07-18/olympic-torch-day-69 |work=ITV News |date=18 July 2012 |language=en}}

Valjee played Jamil in the BBC's series "Switch" (2001-2006), which featured deaf signing actors.{{cite web |title=Umesh Valjee |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1867979/ |website=IMDb}}