For most kids in Riverton, childhood afternoons mean messing around in the park or riding bikes around the block. However, for a young Aqeel Wahid, it meant hours spent at the nets at Riverton Oval with his dad, or playing backyard cricket with his brother until the tennis balls disappeared over the neighbours’ fences.
Now 23, Aqeel calls Canning Vale home and plays international cricket for Malaysia, all while working full-time as an external auditor in Perth. It is a combination most athletes do not juggle, but it is a path he has grown into.
Aqeel was born in Malaysia and moved to Perth midway through Year 1. He remembers the adjustment clearly, but sport made everything easier.
“It was a bit of a culture shock at first, but sport quickly became the bridge that helped me make friends and feel at home,” he said.
He joined Riverton Rossmoyne Junior Cricket Club at seven. From there, cricket took over his world. He played in the streets of Riverton, Parkwood and Willetton, and joined schoolmates on the nets whenever he could.
“If I wasn’t at the Riverton Library after school, I would be at Riverton Oval, training at the nets with my dad,” he said.
Aqeel’s passion saw him push to play with older kids, even joining his brother’s under-thirteen team when he was only seven. He later played district cricket for Perth Cricket Club, senior cricket in Ferndale, and eventually moved into Premier Cricket at Gosnells, where he still plays.
Along the way he found a tight community and mentors who believed in him. One of them was Norman Neill, who coached him as a boy at Riverton Rossmoyne and later helped him secure his graduate job at HLB Mann Judd.
“Norm’s guidance has been invaluable both personally and professionally, and having someone in such a senior position still follow and support my sporting journey speaks volumes about his character and the strength of the local community,” Aqeel said.
He said the club culture across the City of Canning influenced him as both a cricketer and a person. He speaks with admiration about junior coach Dean Pearson and Gosnells coach Bruce Bussanich, who he described as father-like figures for many young players.
“The Canning cricket community has been incredible. Their encouragement made playing enjoyable and taught me lessons beyond the sport itself,” he said.
Today, Aqeel balances premier cricket, international commitments and a demanding career in audit. His days start early and end late, with work during the day and training most evenings. When he tours overseas, he continues working, sometimes late into the night to keep up with time zones and deadlines.
It is a heavy schedule, but he stays grounded by remembering his reasons.
“I’ve always lived by the motto of proving people right, not wrong,” he said. “People believed in me and that has been the engine that pushes me through the lowest days.”
Mentoring young cricketers is one way he gives back to the community that backed him.
“Seeing young players grow and enjoy the game is incredibly rewarding. A good coach can have a huge impact, and I want to do the same for the next generation,” he said.
Aqeel’s global path comes with a multicultural story. He was born in Malaysia, carries Sri Lankan heritage and holds a New Zealand passport, yet he says his identity is just as influenced by growing up in Perth.
“The laid-back culture here has taught me patience, emotional control and how to stay calm under pressure,” he said. “Malaysia is more intense and results-focused, which pushes you to perform. Together they balance each other.”
As for the future, Aqeel is not rushing anything. He hopes to play franchise cricket around the world but prefers to focus on the present rather than chase a rigid plan.
“I’d rather enjoy the process and trust that if I stay patient and play my natural game, things will fall into place,” he said.
When asked to advise young people, he said they should be patient, have fun and be fearless.
“Big dreams rarely happen overnight. Setbacks are normal. Enjoy the game or whatever you pursue, trust yourself, and when opportunities come, take them without fear,” he said.
Looking back, Aqeel says the suburbs of Riverton, Parkwood, Willetton and Canning Vale influenced not just his cricket, but who he is.
“I’ve lived in the City of Canning my whole life and honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” he said.
