Local cricket coach Basheera Mayet earns Eastern Cricket accolade
She was named the Eastern Cricket’s KFC mini-cricket volunteer coach of the year.
Basheera Mayet’s passion for developing young cricketers has earned her another major accolade after she was named Eastern Cricket’s KFC mini-cricket volunteer coach of the year at the union’s recent end-of-season awards.
The Actonville resident and Pioneer Primary School teacher’s recognition comes just months after she was nominated for the same category at the Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards in July.
Mayet, who has been involved in mini-cricket since 2014, said the award is a reflection of years of volunteering, passion and a commitment to introducing children to the sport.
“Being given the opportunity to win this award makes me realise that my hard work has paid off,” she said.
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“I’m a passionate educator and I enjoy working with children and sports, so being named and receiving this award is an honour for me. It also makes females in our communities strive towards achieving these accolades.”
Her CSA nomination was another significant milestone and recognition of her contribution as a mini-cricket coordinator.
“I think Cricket South Africa recognised me because of my years of working in mini-cricket and the hard work I put into the programme,” she said.
“The reason why I am achieving these accolades is because of my passion for cricket and my love for taking cricket further in our communities.”
Mayet believes mini-cricket plays a crucial role in introducing children to the game and laying the foundation for future development.
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Her own journey with the programme has also helped her grow as an individual.
“Over the years I’ve learned the different ways and personalities of people and I’ve seen what we all love. We’re all getting together for the love of cricket,” she said.
“I hope that people are inspired by me as a Muslim female in the sporting fraternity. It shouldn’t stop you because you are a lady. You get accepted and it’s a passion at the end of the day.”
Mayet’s love for cricket did not begin on the playing field.
“I never grew up playing sports. I got married into a family that is very sports inclined.”
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“Over the years I enjoyed watching cricket and I’ve made my children and my children’s school love cricket.
“Whenever there are cricket games around the community, in Benoni, at the Wanderers or Centurion, we go out and support the teams.”
She said volunteering is ultimately about giving children opportunities and showing them that people are willing to invest their time in their development.
“So many people feel like they can’t give their time because, in today’s time, there’s no time. But if you have a passion for it, time and money are not going to matter. You’re going to give back.”
While Mayet is still waiting to see a player from her Actonville hub progress to Easterns level, she has seen encouraging signs from neighbouring schools, with some former mini-cricket players now progressing through the school system and towards provincial cricket.
She hopes more children from the hub will follow the same path.
“As a volunteer coach, I hope people get inspired by the little things that make a difference in children’s lives.”
