Fans take to the streets from Kabul to Kandahar and Khost to Laghman as Afghanistan reach first-ever World Cup semifinal.
Zikria, a 30-year-old Kabul resident, stayed up after the predawn prayers to follow Afghanistan’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 virtual knockout match against Bangladesh that started at 5am (00:30 GMT).
Four and a half hours and multiple rain interruptions later, Afghanistan edged Bangladesh in a thrilling contest and booked their maiden semifinal appearance at the tournament.
“I kept praying [for Afghanistan] throughout the match,” Zikria told media. “I am proud of my team, my captain Rashid Khan and all the support staff.”
Shortly after Naveenul Haq dismissed Mustafizur Rahman to seal Afghanistan’s place in the last four, celebrations erupted in various parts of the cricket-mad Asian country.
Fans, mostly men, poured into the streets and city centres to cheer their team.
The win was hailed by the Taliban government that took power in the country after the withdrawal of US forces nearly three years ago.
Cricket is by far the most popular sport in the country that often brings joy to the people of Afghanistan which witnessed almost four decades of war as well as economic and political instability.
Afghanistan’s win also knocked out former champions Australia, who have twice pulled out of a bilateral series against Afghanistan men’s team citing “deteriorating human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule” but still went ahead against them in ICC events.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi congratulated Rashid and his team in a video posted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on X.
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