Two teenage spin bowlers who featured in one of the highlights of Cardiff's year as European Capital of Sport, Cardiff Cricket Club's trophy laden 2014 season, have joined the Glamorgan County Cricket Club Academy.
Left arm spinner Prem Sisdoya and leg spinner Mujahid Ilyas claimed 73 wickets between them over the course of last season at an average of a miserly 18.5 runs per wicket. The teenagers have both represented Wales at under-14 and under-15 level and have also formed part of the under-17 squad captained by their club colleague, seventeen year old Kiran Carlson.
Prem Sisdoya, said: It's great, I've been with Cardiff Cricket Club since I was six and now hopefully I can get into the ranks here at Glamorgan and then push on and maybe look to England, but if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen, but there's a good set up here so that's a help.
Mujahid Ilyas came up through the ranks for Welsh Asian's Cricket Club before moving onto Cardiff Cricket Club as his game developed. He praised the support he had received from the coaching staff and from his P.E. Teacher at Fitzalan High School and said: We've done a lot of work over the winters in the nets with the coaches here and I've learnt a lot about the game, on and off field, the discipline needed and the real reasons to play the game.
Chairman of Cardiff Cricket Club, Matt Phillips, said: As a club we are absolutely delighted that Prem and Mujahid have been selected in the Glamorgan Academy. They are both very talented cricketers and also work extremely hard on their respective games.
As a club we are extremely committed to the development of our junior cricketers. We have just completed a stellar senior season which saw our first team win both the Premier Cricket League and Welsh Cup with an average age of 21 and Prem and Mujahid were integral members of this side.
Glamorgan's Head of Talent Development Richard Almond said, This is an exciting time for young Welsh cricketers to be involved in the Glamorgan and Cricket Wales age grade cricket system.
The Club's strategy to identify and develop the next generation of Glamorgan stars is vital for our future success. The Academy intake is a larger of group of 17 players, including for the first time 5 girls, which is the most we've ever had and we're determined to help as many as possible develop to become first-class cricketers. We've seen six home grown players go on to have contracts with Glamorgan over the last couple of years and two made their debuts in the first team in 2014. Clearly there is talent amongst boys and girls and the system is working.
Cabinet Member for Community Development, Co-operatives and Social Enterprise, Councillor Peter Bradbury, said: The selection of Prem and Mujahid for the Academy is testament not only to their talent and hard work but also to the good work of coaches and volunteers at the club in its vibrant junior section.
I wish them the best of luck as they continue to make their mark in the game and I hope that one day we'll talk about them being first local players of Asian descent to play for Glamorgan.
Sport is an integral part of life in Cardiff and I would urge anybody looking to get involved in sport, as a coach, a volunteer or a participant to take the first step and visit www.thesportshub-cardiff.com, you never know where it might lead.