Oxford Cricket Odyssey was founded by cricket lovers and Oxford University alumni, dedicated to sharing the passion for the sport's heritage in this City of Dreaming Spires.

The Gentlemen at your service

Cricket is often known as a gentleman’s game, and nowhere else is this ethos better represented than in the storied turfs of Oxford cricket. Oxford Cricket Odyssey’s co-founders are Bharat and Junaid, who have a combined experience of over 30 years in Oxford as students, alumni and cricketers. Read below to find out how the team is exceptionally placed to bring you the absolute best experience of this city we love so dearly.

Our Founders

Bharat Ramanathan: Co-founder of Oxford Cricket Odyssey

Meet Bharat Ramanathan, the visionary co-founder behind Oxford Cricket Odyssey, where passion for cricket meets the timeless allure of Oxford. With over a decade embedded in the fabric of this historic city, Bharat's journey from an Oxford student to a key figure in its cricketing circles uniquely positions him to offer an unparalleled experience to visitors.

A Journey of Excellence

Bharat's academic prowess is evidenced by his Master of Engineering from the University of Oxford. His career spans prestigious roles at Qualtrics, BAE Systems, and Deutsche Bank, where he developed expertise in relationship management, technical consulting, and strategic partnerships. These skills translate into a seamless blend of professional acumen and personal dedication, ensuring that Oxford Cricket Odyssey stands out as a premier choice for cricket enthusiasts and tourists alike.

Bharat Ramanathan

Co-Founder

Leadership in Action

As president and steward of the Oxford University Club Cricket Club, Bharat demonstrated exceptional leadership, steering the club through significant challenges such as the demolition of its home ground and the global pandemic. His ability to foster strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the Head of Communications, Director of Oxford University Sport, and Oxford College Deans, highlights his talent for creating and sustaining top-tier experiences.

Global Cricket Tours

Bharat's management of club tours to international destinations like Sri Lanka and Mexico showcases his deep understanding of the needs of his target customers. These tours have enriched his perspective on delivering bespoke cricketing experiences, tailored to meet diverse expectations and ensuring every detail is meticulously planned and executed.

A Network of Influence

Leveraging a vast network of contacts within Oxford and its University, especially in the cricketing community, Bharat ensures that Oxford Cricket Odyssey has unrivaled access to premier facilities and expert insights. This extensive network is a cornerstone of the company's ability to provide an authentic and immersive Oxford experience.

Vision for the Future

At Oxford Cricket Odyssey, Bharat is excited to offer institutions such as schools, colleges, and cricket academies the very experiences that shaped his own undergraduate years at Oxford. Picture your students or team members enjoying the intellectual rigor of Oxford tutorials, the elegance of formal dinners, and the thrill of uncovering hidden gems of the city just as a fresh-faced undergraduate would. These unique experiences will be complemented by the magic of playing cricket on some of the most hallowed grounds, steeped in a rich tapestry of cricket heritage.

Partner with Oxford Cricket Odyssey and provide your institution with an extraordinary opportunity to experience the best of Oxford. Bharat's blend of academic excellence, professional experience, and deep-rooted connections within the Oxford community ensures that every participant receives a truly exceptional experience. Let us help you elevate your cricket tours to new heights, combining the rich history and academic prestige of Oxford with the exhilarating sport of cricket.

Junaid Aziz

CEO

Junaid Aziz is a seasoned brand strategist and expert in design thinking, with a distinguished academic background in globalization, consumer behavior, and creative management. He holds an MBA, an M.A. in Creative Management, and a degree in Globalization and Consumer Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania. Junaid’s unique expertise lies at the intersection of design thinking and brand strategy, where he has consistently crafted strategic frameworks for founders dedicated to building aspirational brands.

Throughout his global career, Junaid has held pivotal roles in haute horology with Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, and Montblanc across Asia, Europe, and the United States. His leadership in these prestigious organizations has established him as a thought leader in building and managing truly aspirational brands. Prior to his move to Stanford, Junaid served as the Director of Communication and Brand Development for F.P. Journey in the U.S.A.

Currently, Junaid is the CEO of Oxford Odyssey, a venture dedicated to curating exceptional cricket experiences in Oxford. As CEO, he leads a multidisciplinary team of experts in education, sports management, and tourism, who have collaborated on three years of deep ethnographic research. Oxford Odyssey is the culmination of this rigorous study, meticulously exploring the desires and expectations of two distinct groups: young students from around the world drawn to Oxford's academic and athletic prestige, and seasoned C-suite executives seeking unique professional development opportunities. The result is a truly exceptional product that blends summer school with cricket tourism for under-19s, offering an immersive educational and sporting experience that taps into Oxford's rich heritage. For adult professionals, Oxford Odyssey offers executive workshops seamlessly integrated with cricket experiences, creating a perfect synergy between learning, networking, competition, and leisure. Under Junaid's leadership, Oxford Odyssey is poised to become the premier destination for cricket teams worldwide, delivering an unparalleled combination of sport, culture, and history.

In addition to his role at Oxford Odyssey, Junaid is a faculty member at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University, commonly known as the D School. At Stanford, he collaborates with academic faculty to design and teach strategic frameworks that help students solve real-world challenges using design thinking—a methodology widely embraced by Silicon Valley firms for tackling complex, multifactorial business problems. Junaid’s research and teaching focus on creating solutions at the intersection of design thinking and strategic brand communication.

Junaid has also been a long-time collaborator with the United Nations, serving the Joint SDG Fund Secretariat as Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnerships & Communication Design. In this role, he leverages his extensive C-suite experience and deep understanding of design thinking to help the Secretariat better engage with Silicon Valley firms and navigate their unique micro-cultures. His innovation models for complex problem-solving are regularly employed to achieve the Secretariat’s strategic communication goals.

What his friends say about him:

Junaid is not only a distinguished leader in brand strategy and design thinking but also a passionate educator and advisor. His global experience and strategic insight make him a valuable asset to every venture he undertakes, from his leadership at Oxford Odyssey to his advisory role with the United Nations. Whether in the boardroom, the classroom, or on the cricket field, Junaid’s commitment to excellence and innovation continues to inspire those around him.

Profile of Ashwani Arora

Ashwini Arora is the ideal co-founder for Oxford Cricket Odyssey, bringing a wealth of C-suite and boardroom experience to the team, perfectly complementing the leadership team. With a distinguished career that spans both corporate excellence and athletic prowess, Ashwini embodies the fusion of business acumen and a deep passion for cricket.

Ashwini's corporate journey began in the food industry, where he played an instrumental role in transforming the pizza industry in India as the Director of Operations for Domino's Pizza. He was pivotal in the brand's expansion across the country, achieving remarkable milestones such as launching over 86 Domino’s stores in India, with an extraordinary feat of opening 40 stores within just 90 days. His exceptional leadership and operational expertise earned him the prestigious 2000 Pioneer Award, underscoring his significant contributions to Domino's rapid growth. Under his leadership, Domino’s flourished, with Ashwini developing more than 15 area and district managers and successfully launching 27 stores in northern India within a single year. By 2000, his strategic oversight had expanded Domino’s footprint to 15 new stores across eight cities and four states.

Ashwani Arora

Co-Founder

After a stellar career at Domino’s, Ashwini transitioned to the logistics sector, where he served as the Head of Operations at DHL in India, further enhancing his executive experience and strategic management skills.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Ashwini is a passionate cricketer who continues to excel on the field. He represents India’s over-50 team and remains an active overseas player for Old Dunstonian Cricket Club in Beckenham, Kent, competing in the Kent Cricket League. His deep love for the sport drives him to spend the cricket season in the UK, contributing both his experience and passion on the field.

Ashwini’s unique blend of high-level corporate leadership and unwavering commitment to cricket makes him an invaluable Co-Founder of Oxford Cricket Odyssey. His extensive boardroom experience, combined with his active participation in cricket, positions him perfectly to help lead this innovative venture, bringing together the worlds of sport, education, and executive development.

Discover Oxford: Cricket’s Hidden Gem

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Oxford Cricket Odyssey: Your Ticket to Cricket Stardom

The demand for our elite coaching has reached unprecedented levels! To accommodate the influx of future cricket legends, we've extended our training sessions to four days a week.

For inquiries, please leave a message and we'll get back to you faster than a lightning-fast yorker. For urgent matters, contact our maestro of cricket, Bharat, at

bharat@oxfordcricketodyssey.com

Contact Us

Oxford Cricket Odyssey

Oxford

United Kingdom

+44 - 7757121835

bharat@oxfordcricketodyssey.com

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