World Cup 2019: Hamid Hassan rues for having failed to bowl in Pakistan game because of injury

It was one of those rare tragedies. Afghanistan speedster Hamid Hassan, who was recalled in the side for the country’s mission at World Cup 2019, had an unfortunate exit from the arena of ODI cricket on Saturday. The 32-year-old bowler could bowl only two overs in the match against Pakistan at Headingley before hurting his hamstring and could not take part in the game that his team could have won. Afghanistan scored 227 and put Pakistan under all sort of pressure till one over from Gulbadin Naib leaked 18 runs to allow them to run away with the game.

Hamid felt he could have stopped Pakistan from winning the thriller so easily if he hadn’t had that injury. The bowler, who has been known as ‘Afghanistan Rambo’ for sporting the hairband and the Afghan colours on his cheek, was playing in his final ODI and even given a standing ovation by his teammates but then had to limp off the ground because of the injury. Afghanistan play their final game of the tournament on July 4 when they take on the West Indies in a dead rubber in Leeds.

“I was looking forward to winning the game for the team. I was playing my last ODI and in a very good mood,” Hamid was quoted as saying by Sportstar. “I was very excited and pumped up. I bowled very well in the first over and wanted to keep going but I feel something is broken inside of my hamstring.”

Hamid’s absence crippled Afghanistan’s bowling and the captain himself had to come to bowling, ending up at squandering too many runs.

Afghanistan missed him in Pakistan game, feels Hamid

Hamid rued later saying he felt emotional for not being able to play for his side at a crunch moment. He said Afghanistan missed him in the match since the ball was reversing. “The situation would have changed,” Hamid, who also played in the 2015 World Cup and made a comeback to the national side after a long time, said.

The right-arm pacer made his international debut in 2009 against Scotland and has taken 59 wickets from 38 ODIs and 32 wickets from 22 T20Is. He said he will continue to play in T20s for another two years.