I am still friends with the black and white kids that I used to play football with at school. The question they ask me more than any other is: "Why are there no British Asian footballers?" The next most popular question is whether India and Pakistan have national teams.
So when my newspaper, Eastern Eye, published a story last week about four British footballers being selected by Pakistan's national football team for a World Cup qualifier against Iraq, I thought it a good opportunity to pitch my views on the subject.
It would be a tremendous boost to multiculturalism if a desi could play for England. Like many quirks of multiculturalism, the lack of British Asian footballers is partly down to the Asian community and partly down to racial prejudice by indigenous Brits. A key reason is that Asians living in Britain maintain an immigrant mentality towards sport.
My newspaper stages the Asian Business Awards every year. I find it a paradox that there are so many successful British Asian entrepreneurs even though British Asians are not risk takers when it comes to choosing a career.
Why? Firstly, British Asians will only take risks when there is an overwhelming chance of a good financial reward. This stems from their immigrant mentality of the 1970s when the immediate concern was to make enough money to put food on the table and to save whatever cash was left. Secondly, many British Asians think they can best succeed among their own people because of fears of a glass ceiling within large companies.
So the last thing any British Asian parent in the 1970s was going to do was allow their son to give up a chance of a university degree and thereafter a secure career as an accountant or doctor, to risk competing with white Britons at their own game - football.
This prudent mentality remains today. And - let's face it - it has been a pretty successful recipe in terms of wealth generation and building secure family units.
But there are many young British Asian kids who want to be footballers and have the talent to fulfil this ambition, but will not gain much encouragement from their parents because of this immigrant mentality.
Another chief reason for the lack of desi footballers is a prejudice among white coaches that British Asians are not physically strong enough to play football - in contrast to the stereotype of black footballers. There is also a perception among some coaches that British Asians are difficult to coach because of their culture: that somehow Muslims will be unable to combine their religious duties with the training required to be professional footballers. How would Wimbledon's Crazy Gang of the past have taken to a talented, teetotal, turbaned Sikh footballer who wanted to live at home to look after his parents?
And it is a sad irony that the influx of foreign players has made it even harder for a young British Asian player to break into a football team. It all adds up to a depressing picture.
When my sports reporter, Zohaib Rashid, told me about the British players who were ready to play for Pakistan, I felt elated at first, then anxious.
The Pakistan Football Federation has called up QPR's Zesh Rehman, Tranmere Rovers' Adnan Ahmed, Adam Karim, of the League of Wales side Porthmadog and Amjad Iqbal, of Blue Square Premier league side Farsley Celtic. There is a player from a European side that has been called up for the first time, too.
Although Pakistan is ranked 179 in the world according to Fifa, the influx of British players will have a dramatic effect on the country's chance of playing at future World Cups because the quality of the opposition in Asia is poor.
I was excited because I knew that a successful Pakistan football team would push arch-rivals India - where my parents are from - to improve their equally pitiful side. But what made me anxious was the long-term impact of British Asians playing for India and Pakistan.
I accept that a sportsman has the right to choose whatever team or country he plays for. My personal opinion, however, is that English-born players who turn out for foreign national teams are acting contrary to genuine attempts by the British government and people like me to make Britain an inclusive country.
That is why I would appeal to all England-born Asian players to try their utmost to play for England, and only consider playing for India or Pakistan if their efforts end in vain. Such an approach would show that Asians want to build a better Britain.
While I agree that Rehman and co are being realistic about their England chances, it would be disappointing if a big name British Asian player such as Michael Chopra of Sunderland decides to play for India without even trying to gain an England call.
I enjoy seeing Asian, black and white supporters wearing England tops on the day of a big match. It shows what Britain needs to be to meet the challenges of the 21st century: a liberal country which is comfortable with itself and able to provide equal opportunities for its people.