EMMARENTIA – After scoring his breakthrough century playing for the South Africa U19 cricket team, Muhammed Mayet aims to break into the senior national side.
The Emmarentia resident and a King Edward VII School (Kes) old boy, played in nine One Day Internationals for the U19 team against the Sri Lanka U19s in January, which included an innings of 103 runs off 92 balls (14 fours and one six).
However, since he turned 19-years-old on 19 February, and the next SA U19 cricket tour is later in the year, Mayet is no longer eligible to play for the side.
The middle-order, right-handed batsman has already set in motion a plan to fulfil his dream of playing for the Proteas, which he hopes to do within five years.
If he does so, he will follow in the footsteps of Graeme Smith, Adam Bacher, Stephen Cook, Neil McKenzie, and Quinton de Kock – all Kes old boys who have played cricket for the Proteas.
Mayet honed his cricket at Marks Park Cricket Club.
“When I came to Marks Park in Grade 8 they immediately put me in the Premier League team, so I learnt so much over the five years and formed great friendships,” he smiled.
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Upon deciding to study a BSC Finance after school, Mayet started playing for the University of Johannesburg this year, and now also plays for the bizhub Highveld Lions Academy.
Between him and his dream are the Strikers and then the senior bizhub Highveld Lions sides, which he must progress through to reach the Proteas dressing room.
“I still have fun playing cricket – lots of it – so I will never give up. I just love to score runs and make my family proud.”
His cricket role models are India captain Virat Kohli and De Kock. “But one person I would love to play with before he retires is AB de Villiers – I just want to see how he goes about things and the kind of person he is.”
One of Mayet’s favourite memories is scoring his first century at the age of 10, and added that he has been walking around with a bat in hand since the age of five.
His advice to youngsters who dream of playing for the Proteas is to never give up, work hard, and make sure you always have fun.
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