Al-Qalam 
By Nabeelah Shaikh
Habeebah Shaik is a Durban cricket prodigy who is making her mark in the popular sport. Her dream is to participate in the next ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Habeebah, a 16-year-old Grade 11 pupil at Al Falaah College, was spotted playing cricket by a scout when she was just 10-years-old.
Since then, she has been making waves in the world of professional cricket, playing for the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins youth cricket teams.
After her potential was noticed, she was invited to attend her first KwaZulu-Natal cricket festival. Despite being only 10 at the time, she was selected for the KZN Under-13 division, where she flourished.
“Habeebah has always been a sporty child from a young age. She has always been an active child. Her dad is a cricket player, not a professional one, but he plays club cricket. Whenever he used to play, we accompanied him to his games and I think that’s where her interest was sparked. She was always good with a bat and ball,” said Habeebah’s mother, Nazeera Shaik.
Due to her excellent achievements, Habeebah achieved the 2022 Sports Girl of the Year award at her school last year.
Habeebah has been making the KZN Dolphins cricket squad every year – and she has now made the Under-16 squad, which is a more intense trial.
“I love the team spirit that comes with playing cricket. Having a good relationship with your team plays a big part in the match because it makes it more enjoyable for everyone. I have really grown to love the sport over the years. My dad has been my biggest supporter – he has always helped me grow and improve my cricket skills, attending all of my matches, along with my mom and sisters. He always encouraged me to never give up, even on the days that I felt like I didn’t want to go to training. He always pushed me to get up, play the game, and keep training,” said Habeebah.
The teenager believes more young Muslim women should take up the sport.
“From the time I started, I have made a lot more progress than I thought. Playing for the Under-16 team has been amazing. We had a good tournament, we won all our matches. We were undefeated throughout the tournament. There is the Under-19 women’s World Cup coming up, and it’s my dream to make that team and have the opportunity to represent South Africa there,” said Habeebah.
She told Al-Qalam that it was tough to juggle between schooling and her cricket journey at the same time, adding that she had to make sacrifices to get to where she is today.
“It’s hard to juggle training and school-work at the same time, but I have to do it. When it’s exam time, I go a bit easier on my training, but I am still training within those times. I train at least three times a week. But when it’s not cricket season, I train maybe twice a week. Trials are coming up on 24 April and after that, I’ll be training three times a week,” said Habeebah.
Habeebah said she would love for other Muslim girls to follow in her footsteps.
“There are not a lot of Muslim girls that are well represented in sport, but I feel that if you put your mind to anything, you can do it. And I really do encourage them to go for it. It’s so much fun, and you make friends along the way. You learn about teamwork and discipline. It’s really good. I encourage everyone to take up a sport, even if it’s not on a professional level,” says Habeebah.
Habeebah’s dad, Ziaad Shaik, who has been her biggest supporter, said he is incredibly proud of his daughter’s achievements.
“Alhamdulillah, besides cricket it’s been all about hard work and dedication for Habeebah. She has excelled at so many sporting codes besides cricket too. She even excelled at netball and soccer. She continuously makes us proud with all her achievements. It’s a lot of hard work. I’ve been trying my whole life to get to play at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium and I haven’t been able to. But Habeebah has been able to achieve all of that so quickly, at her age because of her talent,” he said with a smile.
