The Goulburn High School Year 7 student doesn't turn 14 till July, 2018, yet he is already playing second grade senior cricket in the Goulburn competition, as well as junior club and representative under 14s. From the first time he and his younger brother Kareem joined the Wollondilly Cricket Club coach Paul Chalker knew that Raheem and Kareem had potential. Their father, Abdul Hammad, a baker at Trappers Bakery, brought his family to Goulburn from Pakistan in February, 2014. It was a teacher, Mrs Robinson at Goulburn East Public School, who suggested the boys should play cricket.

Paul Chalker has been Raheem's coach in juniors from the start and he remembers when the boys first came along to cricket and it was not long before he realised they both had ability.

“When Raheem started he didn't even know how to grip the bat and he used to chuck the ball instead of bowling it,” Chalker said. “But he is a good listener and he wants to learn to do things better. He has a real determination.

“Raheem has a great mental aptitude for cricket and thinks about the placement of his shots. Raheem might not have the highest scoring rate, but he has the patience. 

"There are things he has to work on, like his balance when hitting the ball. His bowling has really improved, but he needs to practice bowling to the leg side. His progress is remarkable. In the two weekends he has scored over 200 runs.”

“In my first men's second grade game with Soldiers Warriors I scored 24 runs then in the rep game I was an opening batsmen and I got 123 runs,” Raheem said. “On Saturday I opened for Wollondilly Gold and scored 46 not out."

“He simply ran out of partners and his side fell short of Wollondilly Green's total,” Paul Chalker said. “Two games in a row he batted from the start to the end of the innings. 

"But he went one better on Saturday afternoon, in second grade. He opened the batting, and remained at the crease right through the innings.

“His dad was last batsman and Raheem scored his first half century in senior cricket and ended the innings not out with the top score of 61.”