RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - Muhammad Akhtar Bulbulia, a talented cricketer from Rustenburg, has made his mark by representing South Africa in the Under-19 cricket team since 2024.
His exceptional batting skills across all formats have established him as a prominent figure within the Cricket South Africa (CSA) system.
From a young age, Muhammad has embodied the spirit of cricket, growing up immersed in the sport. With a bat and ball always in hand, he was frequently found on cricket fields, following the proud legacy of his grandfather, father, and uncle, all of whom played at high levels in South Africa.
At just 7-years-old, he joined the highly regarded JVS High Performance program, known as the RHS Cricket Academy, where he committed to full-time training. It was at JVS that he scored his first fifty at the age of 9 while representing the Under-11 team, setting the stage for an outstanding cricketing career.
His experience spans multiple teams - including JVS High Performance, LPL, Pretoria leagues, Fields College, Impala Cricket Club, and Joburg leagues - where he refined his skills across various age groups and formats.
Muhammad led the South African Under-19 team in a series against Bangladesh, after which they travelled to Zimbabwe for a tri-series involving South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh. This is all part of South Africa’s preparations for the Under-19 World Cup scheduled for early next year in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
In the first match against Bangladesh, Muhammad showcased his leadership with a stellar innings of 72 runs off 79 balls.
He has secured a contract with the Tuskers, where he will represent them in the CSA Division 1 competition for the 2025/2026 season. Jan van Staden, Muhammad’s Coach, boasts an impressive 19-year coaching career at Rustenburg High School. As the Director of Cricket for the past four years, he has played a crucial role in elevating the school’s cricket program.
His commitment and expertise as a Level 3 CSA Coach have firmly established Rustenburg High School as a top cricket institution, consistently producing talented players for high-performance programs, as Callie Fryer and Nathan Rossouw also represented the South African Under-19 team in their matches against England earlier in the year. Both Callie and Nathan displayed their skills when they competed against Bangladesh, representing the South Africa Under-19 invitational team.
