Getting closer to a dream - Beyond the Test World at Cricinfo

I like bowling with the new ball but in this team I try and use the old ball to my advantage and focus on bowling an excellent line and length. I try to bowl full and straight so I pick up most of my wickets by bowling people or getting them out leg before wicket.

My yorker has worked really well in this tournament and I think that is why I have taken some many wickets in Tanzania.

My cricket idol is Andrew Flintoff – I think he is a world-class player. I was lucky enough to be a net bowler for England at Lord’s back in 2006, when I was with the MCC, and when Flintoff found out that I was from Afghanistan he gave me his England shirt which I often wear and I have it with me in Tanzania. He said that I was a very good bowler and told me to work hard on my game.

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to bowl against the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan and I even managed to dismiss Ian Bell and Marcus Trescothick in the nets which made me feel very proud.

After this tournament, we will go back to Afghanistan and have some rest and then probably have a training camp for two or three months to get ready for Argentina.

I would love to have the opportunity to go and play cricket in some other countries – it would be fantastic to play county cricket or the Indian Premier League. My dream would be to play for Lancashire with Flintoff.

I hope that we can finish a wonderful week in Tanzania by winning the final against Hong Kong who is a very strong team.

When we won the World Cricket League Division 5 in Jersey there were some great celebrations when we arrived back in Kabul and people came to greet us at the airport. It would be great if we can repeat those scenes by winning the tournament here as well.

I know from speaking to my family and friends back in Afghanistan that all of the people at home are very happy that we have got promoted – they will be even happier if we add another trophy to our collection.

Well done. As a proud Afghan, who have followed you and the team with alot of fondness, you have done wonders and I salute you all. What our governament must realize now is the fact that the futre Andrew Flinoffs and the Kevin Pietersens, the Shane Warns and Tendulkars from Afghanistan do not even have a ground in thier homelnad! Petty. Beating the likes of Hongkong who had a fantastic oppurtunity to beat our neighbour Pakistan in the last Asia cup, and the others, make me say that both our governament and the ICC should realize the potential Afghanistan have as a future cricketing Power. Investing so much on the promotion of Cricket in China is good because of the population, but just think, what if you provide coaching, facilities and a porion of the unlimited cash you have to us, we can soon be comepting with the small number of super powers you have - countable with fingures of one hand - put so by KA. we have the talent and passion. It only needs eyes to be seen. ICC are blind.

congratulations Every body !!!!!!!!!!!!!

afghanistan nationational cricket team won the final of Division 4 either by 57 runs V strong team of hong kong

I wish to see our sweet team playing in world cup 2011 toooooooooooooooooo

Love you afghanistan

Best regards Mohammad Sadiq Kakar

From Mazar-e-Sharif Afghanistan

Contact numbers
+93 786 278 678 and +93 708 569 806

Hamid hasan thanx budy great job done... hope u all guys work together as a team... not personal game but a team for the country which we love the most... Hassan hope you & Nabi would get chance in IPL & i m sure u guys would do soon if qualified for world cup & showed to the world ur talent... & hope u guys then contribute to ur country team financially as well...we all Afghans are proud of u...You r our chapions... May Allah give u all guys bright future... try to work on ur fittness... An Afghan student in India Once Hamid Hassan's schoolmate with tamim