Fans take to the streets from Kabul to Kandahar and from Khost to Laghman as Afghanistan reaches its first World Cup semi-final.
Zikria, a 30-year-old Kabul resident, stayed awake after pre-dawn prayers to follow Afghanistan's virtual ICC T20 World Cup 2024 knockout match against Bangladesh that began at 5 am (00:30 GMT).
Four and a half hours and multiple rain interruptions later, Afghanistan edged out Bangladesh in a thrilling contest to earn its first semi-final appearance of the tournament.
“I kept praying [for Afghanistan] throughout the game,” Zikria told Al Jazeera. “I am proud of my team, my captain Rashid Khan and all the support staff.”
Soon after Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Mustafizur Rahman to seal Afghanistan's place in the last four, celebrations broke out in various parts of the cricket-mad Asian country.
Look what this success means to us! 🤩#AfghanAtalan | #T20WorldCup | #AFGvBAN | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/loBZ6nW4e0
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) June 25, 2024
'Praying to win the final'
Fans, mostly men, took to the streets and city centers to cheer on their team.
The victory was hailed by the Taliban government that took power in the country after the withdrawal of US forces almost three years ago.
Cricket is by far the most popular sport in the country and often brings joy to the people of Afghanistan, who witnessed almost four decades of war, as well as economic and political instability.
Afghanistan's victory also eliminated former champion Australia, which twice withdrew from a bilateral series against the Afghanistan men's team citing “the deteriorating human rights of women and girls in the country under Taliban rule”, but still thus he continued against them in the ICC events.
Afghanistan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi congratulated Rashid and his team in a video released by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on X-Day.
Muttaqi spoke to Rashid over a video call and the smiling captain received his congratulations.
Abdullah, a 20-year-old fan from Kabul, said the victory was a “dream come true” for him.
“I can't express my feelings right now, I'm overwhelmed,” said the visibly emotional fan a few hours after the match ended. “Now we hope and pray to win the final.”
Afghanistan has never reached the knockout stage of any ICC World Cup. Until now, his best result in the T20 World Cup had been reaching the second round three times. They have yet to get past the first round of the Over-50s World Cup.
'Great inspiration for the youth of Afghanistan'
Rashid led from the front in the field as he hit three important sixes in his 19 innings and then took four wickets as Afghanistan won by eight runs.
“It's a great achievement for us as a team and as a nation to be in the semi-finals,” the 25-year-old said after the match. “[This win] “He is going to be a great inspiration for young people returning to Afghanistan.”
Another fan, Imran, 22, believes the whole of Afghanistan was praying for the team.
“I have no words [to express my joy]”he told Al Jazeera in Kabul.
Fans, regardless of their age, were seen celebrating.
Images and videos on social media showed wild celebrations in several parts of the country, including Khost, Jalalabad and Laghman province, as well as in the city of Kandahar.
Some danced in the streets, while others chanted: “Long live cricket in Afghanistan.”
Aerial shooting, a common celebratory practice in some parts of the world, could also be seen as fans followed the match on giant screens in city centres.
Afghanistan will face South Africa in the first semi-final on June 27 at 00:30 GMT.
Everyone 👀 in the next one!! 💪
This is for each and every one of the 🇦🇫 fans who believed in us and kept us going 🙏#ICC #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/vQREijaoQn
—Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) June 25, 2024
Additional reporting by Mohsin Khan Momand in Kabul.
