Cricket-mad Syed Hassan Abbas, known as Hassan, met his hero Phil Tufnell and was shown around the Kia Oval as part of a special day organised by The Children’s Trust where he is undergoing intensive rehabilitation.

15 year old Hassan from Birmingham was left with a severe brain injury after a knife attack in October last year. He is currently staying at The Children’s Trust in Surrey for specialist brain injury rehabilitation. It was a moment his Father, Syed Abbas, could never have expected when, five months ago, he was told Hassan’s injuries were so severe that it was unlikely he would survive.

Of his son’s special outing, Dad said: “I’ve never seen him so smiley. He’s in his element. It has been a difficult few months, but Hassan has been very brave and tried to stay positive. Meeting Phil and going to the Kia Oval has been a fantastic boost to him.”

Prior to his injuries, Hassan was a keen cricketer and had been invited to trials for a County Cricket team. His ambition was to play for the England.

Phil explained how touched he was by Hassan’s story: “I’ve been involved with The Children’s Trust for 10 years, and I am humbled by the experiences of children and families I meet. One of Hassan’s therapists got in touch to say that he loved cricket, and wanted to arrange this visit to help motivate his rehab. He’s a fantastic lad. And thanks to Kia for pulling out all the stops to organise the tour.”