The Khalili Foundation was proud to support the launch of the ‘One Commonwealth, One Team’ Exhibition Cricket Match Series, unveiled this week at Marlborough House ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.
Cricket legend and CHOGM 2026 Envoy Sir Vivian Richards took the bat at the launch event, marking the start of a series that will bring Heads of Government and the Commonwealth’s next generation of cricket talent together at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on 1 November. The series, which underscores the CHOGM 2026 theme of Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth, features two fixtures: a friendly T5 match between Commonwealth Heads of Government, and the Commonwealth Future Stars Under-23 T10 Match, spotlighting emerging young talent from across the Commonwealth.
The Khalili Foundation is honoured to be among the initiative’s supporters, alongside the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Sustainable Markets Initiative, Commonwealth Sport and the West Indies Cricket Association — a partnership that reflects the Foundation’s belief in the power of shared cultural traditions to build understanding and cooperation across the Commonwealth family.
Waqas Ahmed chairs the launch panel
Waqas Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Khalili Foundation, chaired the main panel at the launch event, bringing together leading voices behind the initiative including Minister E.P. Chet Greene, Chair of the CHOGM Task Force 2026; Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon Shirley Botchwey; Jennifer Jordan-Saifi MVO, Chief Executive Officer of the Sustainable Markets Initiative; and Dr Donald Rukare, President of Commonwealth Sport. Under his chairing, the panel explored how sport — and cricket in particular — can serve as a platform for partnership, youth engagement and shared purpose as the Commonwealth gathers in Antigua and Barbuda this November.
Minister Greene said the series “captures the spirit of friendship, partnership and shared purpose at the heart of the Commonwealth,” while Secretary-General Botchwey reflected that cricket “has long connected people across the Commonwealth” and that the series would “capture the essential truth that the Commonwealth is strongest when we combine our different talents and work towards a shared purpose.”
The Khalili Foundation is planning to produce a special film “Common Ground”, based around the CHOGM cricket matches, aiming to show the unifying power of cricket. It will be led by Waqas Ahmed, who directed AThousand Colours (2023) with UNESCO.
A shared platform for partnership and youth
Inspired by the legacy of Sir Vivian Richards, the series was designed to leverage the power of sport in service of the values that connect the Commonwealth: partnership, friendship, leadership, inclusion and shared purpose. It also sits alongside the inaugural Commonwealth Sport Summit taking place during CHOGM week, bringing together leaders from government, sport and business to explore how sport can address shared priorities and inspire practical action.
For the Khalili Foundation, supporting ‘One Commonwealth, One Team’ is a natural extension of its work bringing people and institutions across the Commonwealth together around shared culture and purpose — from the Commonwealth Peace Prize to the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme.
Part of a long-standing commitment to the Commonwealth
This support forms part of the Khalili Foundation’s wider, long-standing commitment to the Commonwealth’s peacebuilding and intercultural initiatives, a partnership that has continued to grow since 2017. As CHOGM 2026 approaches, the Foundation looks forward to seeing leaders, young people and communities come together in Antigua and Barbuda in a celebration of sport, friendship and the shared purpose that binds the Commonwealth family.
