We are all so relieved that we managed to beat Hong Kong on Sunday to get ourselves back into the tournament and give us a chance of getting a place in the World Cup Qualifiers.
Our matches against Hong Kong are always very close and it was another tense finish; I was praying after every ball towards the end that we would be able to take the final wicket. It was such a relief when we finally got out Nadeem Ahmed. I was thinking in the field of all the people back in Afghanistan who would be praying for us to do well and that was a real inspiration as well for the team.
The first game against Uganda was very disappointing, as we didn’t bat very well, even though we did almost end up winning the game in the end after Rais’s fantastic innings.
When I went into bat and we still needed 30 to win, I didn’t really think I had that much chance of winning the match but I gave it my best effort.
I don’t feel that I have bowled as well as I could have during the course of this tournament. I injured myself a couple of months ago and couldn’t bowl as many overs as I would have liked in the build-up to this event. However, against Hong Kong I finally felt like that I am beginning to find my rhythm and I am hoping that I will be able to bowl at full pace today.
I managed to cut out my no-balls and bowl a much better line and length and I enjoyed the bouncy Belgrano wicket.
Everybody is asking me why I am not bowling my yorkers in this tournament, which worked well for me in Division 4, but I don’t want to bowl them at the moment as I don’t want to over pitch and get hit for six.
The level of interest back at home is amazing and I am getting e-mails and phone calls all the time from people in Afghanistan. I have been told that on the television at home, all the news bulletins have the score update on the screen every minute to keep everybody updated. Some of the radio shows also update the scores all the time, while I know my family follow the scores on the internet.
I have really enjoyed Argentina and the people in Buenos Aires have been extremely hospitable to us. I don’t think that many of them have ever met anybody from Afghanistan before and because I speak good English I have had to do lots of television interviews, although I think I will need to learn some more Spanish!
If we manage to get promoted from Division 3, I want to go back to the market that we went to on the tournament rest day and buy some things to celebrate. I am confident we can win our final three matches and it would be very exciting if we can reach the World Cup Qualifiers. I don’t want to look too much further ahead than that at the moment and instead just concentrate on doing well in Argentina.
Hamid,
Good luck with the rest of your games, hopefully you can get that promotion to Division 3 !
Steven
Posted by: Omer at January 27, 2009 10:12 PM
Good luck Hamid, hope your team does well.
Your brother from Pakistan.
Posted by: Sayed Yaqoob Shah at January 28, 2009 6:13 AM
Dear Hamid Jan
Best regards and huge salam to you and all respected boys in Afghanistan squad I have been checking Afghanistan score during the checke since you it started i really enjoy when I see the name of our great country among those countries who are the winner and every day i and my family pray for you and I hope once again you will get to the final and get the title of championship in division three
best luck to all of you
Posted by: Abdul Waheed at January 28, 2009 7:53 AM
Great Job Afghanistan. I am proud of you. Keep it up I am sure you will make it to the World Cup. Inshallah
Posted by: Mohammadullah Kamal at January 28, 2009 9:58 AM
Dear Hamid Hassan,
Hope once, very soon we see you again in Kabul with a wining trophy - and hope by wining these games our most great players(like you) inspire our politations in field of politic, to bring change - peaceful change and hope very soon we could see our great team in World Cup 2011, our prayers, our hearts and tears are with you my dear and wish you all the best yaar!
Mohammadullah Kamal
Pashto language poet and writer
email: m_kamalw@hotmail.com
Posted by: afzaal khan at January 28, 2009 10:50 AM
From a Pakistani, best of luck guys, Very proud to see Afghanistan doing so good. IA u will acheive all ur goals. AH
Posted by: Mohammad Sadiq Kakar at January 28, 2009 2:36 PM
Hello dear and sweet readers!!!
I am really hopeful for the afghan side in Argentina that they would get to final by our people's prayers including my self
I want tell u the latest score of the match now Afghanistan vs. PNG
PNG. 24-2 (10 over)
Best Regards: Mohammad Sadiq "Kakar" From Mazar-e-Sharif Afghanistan
If u have any thing to tell me please do contact me at my cell phones
0093708569806 and 0093786278678
Posted by: Xia Afghan at January 28, 2009 5:05 PM
Great job Afghanistan! You Will Win inshallah!
SabaWoon
Kabul
Posted by: Khushal Khan Anzor at January 28, 2009 5:56 PM
great job by winning against png..
inshah allah we will be there in the world cup..
u do a great job guys..
thanx from germany....
Posted by: Lutfullah at January 28, 2009 7:21 PM
It is a pride and pleasure to read your article on cricinfo. I do appreciate your contribution to the Afghanistan cricket and pray for your further success. You bowled very well in today's win against PNG.
Posted by: Wali Jalalzai at January 28, 2009 10:08 PM
I am big big fan of my afghan heroes. Your the real heroes of all Afghanistan. You have made us all proud.
Our prayers are with u, from all over the world. I follow all ur games from Jersey to Tanzania and now Argentina. When i come home its morning and the game is over, before opening the website and looking at the screen i pray to Allah that u guys have won. And today once again by the grace of Allah and your hard work we have won the match.
Congrats to all my afghan heroes. Keep it up. Just one more match to go. And i see u guys with in the 2011 world cup. inshallah.
Posted by: Nail Miakhel at January 29, 2009 12:58 AM
Congratulations to Hamid&team for beating PNG and getting closer to be one of the two teams to make it to the qualifier.Our prayers are with you guys and inshallah see you in the world cup.I just wish we could see these games live to see the team in action.Good luck for tomorrow vs Cayman Islands and be aggressive as that's how we afghan play.jk play sensibly while putting the bad balls away.
Posted by: Maiwand Akbari at January 29, 2009 6:09 AM
I feel that I am crying to see Afghanistan as one of the most fast progressing cricket team in the world. I am really amazed of their talent, faith and capability. Our prayers will always remain with you. Zinda Bad Afghanistan and Afghan Cricket Team
Posted by: Dr. Naeem Maftoon at January 29, 2009 7:58 AM
Salam and best wishes to all country mates specially to the national heroes and the proud of the country(national team players) very well done and you people really inspire and surprise the world about afghans efforts and commitments, we love you all, pray for you all and you are our real and most dearest heroes
Posted by: Ghalib Mansoor at January 29, 2009 8:19 AM
Great job Afghans come with the Trophy to Afghanistan you will see too much fans in front of Airport Inshallah
Posted by: Rahmanullah at January 29, 2009 8:29 AM
i will be waiting for you in England(LORDS).
Posted by: Noor Ullah at January 29, 2009 8:40 AM
DEAR HASSAN,
its not that your efforts and hardwork is delivering victories but its the prayers of all afghan nation that is traveling with all the times.the time when you were up against PNG i was praying for you that night.i always run to net cafe early in the morning see the updates with tickling heart.keep it up guys our prayers are always with u and many thanks to cricinfo for updating us
Noor Ullah
Shaoxing China
Posted by: Aman Khan at January 29, 2009 11:02 AM
Dear Afghan Cricket Team,
Hope all of you doing well and fine,
You people are making cricket history for Afghanistan, please keep it up your efforts and hard work.
I wish all the best and success in this division as well as in next dvision.
Posted by: Harris at January 29, 2009 2:36 PM
Your efforts bring us (afghans) joy and happiness. We feel that we're being noticed not because of war and destruction, but for our spirit and thirst for success. I follow your games very closely and I hope and pray that you guys make it to the world cup.
Posted by: Idrees Mohmand at January 29, 2009 3:47 PM
Hey u great heroes of uss.... Great Job Done.... Thumbs up for you guys.. Hope you guys will repeat the same great job in next and final decisive match.. Our prayers are with u.... U guys have made us soo happy.... God Bless u all..
and thx for our pakistani brothers for supporting our national team.
Posted by: izatullah at January 29, 2009 4:03 PM
thats what i hope i am praying u guys u r the bes hami hassan whish u all the best.
Posted by: Shafeeq Mohammad at January 30, 2009 6:19 AM
i cried with joy when i saw our brothers had beaten Guinea! Everyone here at home is following you closely, and we are cheering that the world will know Afghans may be in tough times, but our spirit will always be. Go to South Africa and win a few games, and Afghanistan will celebrate because our flag will fly high in 2011!
Posted by: Ahad at January 30, 2009 7:27 PM
Guys:
We are all proud of you and your commitment to take Afghanistan to ICC world Cup. Best wishes.
Afghan from Washington DC.
US
Posted by: Ateequllah HAYAT at January 30, 2009 10:12 PM
We Love You Afghanistan
Posted by: Idris at January 31, 2009 8:00 AM
first of all Welldone guys,
That last match against Cayman Islands was realy close. I think our prayers have been answered and down came rain to save the team from losing. Inshallah we will win today and get to the final.
According to the Net Run Rate (NRR) Afghanistan is still first if today they win by any margin they are guaranteed a place in final. Lets just pray they get through this match easily.
Posted by: Mohammad Tariq at January 31, 2009 8:22 AM
I know that u will be so happy along with all the Afghans in Afghanistan or anywhere around the world,
its Tariq who used to play with u guys in Peshawar KMC medical ground, my prayers are always with u guys, make us proud and make ourselves proud too.
thanks for the happiness u guys have given us
Thanks again. see u inshallah soon with lot of happiness
Posted by: Iqbal Miakhil at January 31, 2009 9:16 PM
MY dear Hassan we are proud of you.It was Nabi,Nowrooz and yourself who gave us championship at division 3.
Posted by: Hedayatullah at January 31, 2009 10:26 PM
Congratulation to all afghans and the fans of afghan cricket team !!!!!!!!!! you have done a great job with having a hit-trick of three divisions and hopefully to see you in the world cup
my best wishes for you
Posted by: kandahar at February 2, 2009 12:45 AM
well done to the boys for achieving what they have.
it will be a dream come true if i see Afghanistan in the world cup after what Afghanistan has and is going through.
Posted by: rajan sharma at February 2, 2009 11:23 AM
i m a big fan of this afgani team.i want to see them live on the television in 2011 world cup..
hope they will win the qualifying tournaments
best of luck to afghanistan
Posted by: Maseh Sadiqi at February 12, 2009 7:37 PM
Me and my little brother are both mad keen about cricket and we play cricket for Oxfordshire county. i play for their under 16s and my brother for under 14s. since we have heard about AFGHANISTAN cricket, we dream 24-7 about playing for my country.
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