Rahman Hekmat was an infant when his parents moved to New Zealand from Afghanistan in search of a better life. Growing up in Auckland, with parents being ardent cricket and Bollywood buffs, Rahman, the eldest of three siblings, automatically fell in love with cricket, but he still struggles with Hindi cinema.
“My dad really loves Bollywood movies. When he would put up some movie, I would try and jump in and see If I can catch it. If I didn’t get the story, I really got very bored, so he would try to explain it to me. I struggle to understand Hindi. I always tell him to put the caption on, but he says the sense gets lost in the translation,” Rahman tells The Indian Express from Dobsonville in South Africa.
“Recently, my parents went on to watch Shah Rukh Khan starrer Dunki. My father loved the movie, and he explained it to me over the phone for two hours. He is a fan of the actor and was trying to explain everything about him and his work. I try my bit to learn,” he laughs.
Rahman might have a long way to go with Hindi cinema, but in cricket, the 18-year-old has had a rapid rise. He started playing at the age of 11. He wanted to be a fast bowler, and it was in their house’s corridor that his father spotted something in him.
“I started as a pace bowler. One day my dad and I were playing, and I started bowling a few leggies. My dad thought I had a natural action and was quite similar to Shane Warne. He spoke to my coach, not a personal coach, he was just a player’s dad, who used to help out all the kids. The day after, we went for training, and then my coach also saw something in my bowling and said it is something we can work on. From there onwards, it was all leg-spin,” he shares.
Hekmatullah, an engineer by profession, introduced his son to Shane Warne, and then came the fellow Afghan leggie Rashid Khan, who had a big impact on his son Rahman.
“My idols are Shane Warne and Rashid Khan. Warne is the greatest of all time. Rashid Khan is an Afghani and got a quick leg break and wrong’un. The thing is I also love to bowl quite a few googlies like Rashid,” he says. “Over the years, when my cricketing knowledge improved, I started following other wrist-spinners as well. I look up to Ish Sodhi, Adam Zampa, and Adil Rashid. I look up to all the leggies, all of them are different. I try to notice their tactic, their speed, field placements and variations. Each one of them are artists in their own way,” he says.
“I like to hit here and there like Rashid, but I still need to work a lot on my batting. But whenever the ball is in my area, I try to hit it for a six,” he adds.
Rahman, who hails from Kabul, Afghanistan, was born in Peshawar. His father, a cricket nut, was ecstatic when Afghanistan were on a roll in the ODI World Cup.
“They went on beating one former World champion to another. It was quite a rollercoaster. My father was over the moon. He supports New Zealand and Afghanistan. Infact, he supports all the teams. He just loves cricket in general, regardless of which team is playing. He just wants to watch the match and be happy about it. Since 2015, the first time Afghanistan played in the World Cup, their progress has been impressive and it has made my dad really happy,” he says.
Before going to South Africa, New Zealand cricket has arranged a session with senior players like Rachin Ravindra and Ish Sodhi, and Rahman believes the advice from the seniors has eased him and his fellow teammates before the U-19 World Cup.
“We have had a few meetings with Rachin, with him talking to us and answering our queries. We also had a session with the Blackcaps. I was a net bowler. I had a few sessions with Ish Sodhi and Tarun Nethula (former leg spinner) is my coach and mentor since high-school cricket. I talk to him a lot.” says Rahman.
Rahman says playing in the U-19 World Cup would be a great experience for all the players, and they have been told to enjoy the tournament.
“The seniors told us that each one of us in the squad is capable of playing high-level cricket, even for the Blackcaps. We have been told to enjoy the trip and be in the moment. We are trying to enjoy everyday. Have some fun, try and learn from your opposition. You don’t go to South Africa every day to play the U-19 World Cup. We played the West Indies the other day; they were aggressive with their bowling and used a lot of shot balls. They were playing with a lot of intent, which was new for me. I haven’t played a game against an opponent with so much talent,” says Rahman.
Rahman credits his journey to his father, Hekamtullah, and mother, Khatei, who works in the same school where he studies.
“My father is an umpire, too, a well-known one in my area. The same is true with my mum; she also loves talking about the game. We love talking about cricket. My younger brother is the only one who doesn’t like it but my 12-year-old sister loves the game. She could understand from my celebration that something good has happened on TV for the team that I was cheering for.”
“My father has given up a lot of sleep to get me where I am. He moved to New Zealand when I was one. He has been to New Zealand a couple of years before to study. What can I say about my mum? A mum is a mum. She is loving and caring. It is hard to explain about their sacrifices. I just want to make them proud, want to become a good role model for my brother and sister.”