Afghanistan — a country ravaged by war — found unity Saturday after its national cricket team stunned Bangladesh in its first Asia Cup, sending Afghans out into the streets of Kabul to celebrate.
“Each time we win in cricket, most say it was a fluke,” Ahmed Raza Fakr, a student in Kabul University, told NDTV News. “Each time we win, we want to say it isn’t fluke by our celebrations.”
In Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, people fired bullets into the air in celebration, while others waved flags.
Thousands of fans also flocked to the city’s cricket stadium to celebrate and President Hamid Karzai called team members to congratulate them, Noor Muhammad Murad, the chief executive of the country’s cricket board, told Reuters.
Afghanistan’s 32-run victory over hosts Bangladesh was only the fourth time the country has played a full-day international matchup.
However, the players’ celebrations in Fatullah were more restrained compared to what was occurring in Afghanistan.
“Whenever I spoke to the team, they told me they were confident of at least beating the lower-ranked full members,” Murad said, according to Reuters.
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