BOWLER HITS THE BIG-TIME

BY TARREN SAUNDERS

It was a great experience to represent my country and getting into competitive cricket, playing against pro players as a schoolboy.

AS A CHILD, LIYEMA WAQU spent most of his time playing football with friends. Then one day, while walking around Khayelitsha looking for a game, he stumbled upon a group of boys playing cricket. His life would never be the same. Today Waqu, a first-year student at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), is a Western Province player and has represented the South African Schools team.

WAQU GREW UP IN KHAYELITSHA with his parents and three sisters. He attended Rosmead Central Primary School in Claremont, and as he approached high school he was offered a scholarship by Newlands Cricket High School. Weeks later, he accepted another offer from South African College High School (SACS).

THE SEAM BOWLER STARTED PLAYING FOR WESTERN PROVINCE as an under-12 in 2016 and was part of the provincial set-up for four years until Covid struck. After a year without cricket, he was selected for the under-19 Western Province team and made the SA Schools team in 2021 and 2022.

IN GRADE 11, Waqu made his first-class debut for the Western Province Blitz professional team and he was offered a high-performance contract directly after high school. Months later, another amazing opportunity came along when Waqu was chosen to play for the South Africa Emerging side in the Division 2 One-Day Cup,.

Asked about his SA under-19 experience in 2022, Waqu says: “It was a great experience to represent my country and getting into competitive cricket playing against pro players as a schoolboy.” The team won the Cricket South Africa second division Provincial T20 Challenge under coach Shukri Conrad.

FOR WAQU, ATTENDING UWC, being able to play with excellent players and being coached by the best is a great opportunity. It was easy for him to get used to the environment, having played with most of his teammates at school and provincial level. Another advantage was the Sports Skills for Life Skills programme, which helped him to find accommodation near the university, provides a monthly meal allowance and supports him in balancing his life as a student and an athlete.

WAQU IS GRATEFUL to many individuals who have supported him in his career so far. He says his high school teacher and coach, Brendan Kleynhans, and his wife Wendy played a major role in his life and helped him get into UWC. Former Western Province cricketer Siraaj Conrad has given him guidance and strength, he says.