AFP, Perth :
Cartwheeling, war-painted Afghanistan fast bowler Hamid Hassan wants to rip through Australia today (Wednesday) using England Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff as his inspiration.
Hassan had become a cult figure at the World Cup with a bandanna in his country’s colours wrapped tightly around his head and tiny Afghanistan flags painted onto his cheeks.
His team’s remarkable rise through the cricket hierarchy faces its toughest challenge yet in Perth where 27-year-old Hassan is eager to test his pace on the WACA’s famously fast pitches.
The seamer now wants to follow in the footsteps of Flintoff who sparked England’s defeat of Australia in the 2005 Ashes where he claimed 24 wickets.
“There are a lot of fast-bowlers I love to watch, but the one guy I was very inspired by was in the Ashes series in 2005 … when I saw Andrew Flintoff,” Hassan told www.cricket.com.au.
“He played like a hero in that Ashes series. He bowled really well, bowled fast and quick, got 24 wickets and got some runs in batting. I wish I could bat like him but I’m not a good batsman.
“He inspired me a lot with the way he played, the way he bowled, the way he batted, his celebrations and everything. He was amazing.”
Afghanistan go into Wednesday’s Pool A game having won their first ever World Cup clash against Scotland, which followed defeats by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and they remain in quarter-final contention with further games to come against New Zealand and England.
Afghanistan have faced Australia only once, losing by 66 runs in Sharjah in 2012 but Hassan missed that game with a knee injury.
If he manages to send back any of Australia’s leading batsmen on Wednesday then he is certain to celebrate with another cartwheel, which greeted his dismissal of Sri Lanka star Kumar Sangakkara in Dunedin.
“I didn’t know what I should do so I just went for it,” Hassan said of his celebration which ended with him taking a tumble in his follow through.
“I was just enjoying that wicket because everyone knows that Sangakkara is the number one batsman in the world.
“I feel very proud that I got him and also then (Mahela) Jayawardene later on. I was very excited, I didn’t know what to do and it just happened. It was amazing.”
