Fireworks and celebratory gunfire raked Kabul’s skies as Afghans celebrated their stunning eight-wicket cricket World Cup defeat of Pakistan, a rare burst of public jubilation since the Taliban takeover.
Hundreds of fans late on Monday swarmed the streets of the capital, joining a morass of honking traffic, which wardens struggled to tame. Ecstatic passengers hung off vehicle doors as pedestrians danced and played music despite an effective ban on song and dance dictated by the Taliban government.
“Afghanistan has been through so much recently, such moments are always special and must be celebrated properly,” said Kabul resident Sharifullah, who goes by one name.
Photo: AFP
“It feels like we have won the World Cup,” the 25-year-old said. “Sport always brings unity among the people. Today we are celebrating the victory as a nation.”
A superb batting and bowling display saw Afghanistan record their highest chase in one-day international (ODI) cricket, with a successful pursuit of a 283-run target set by Pakistan.
It was their first victory over Pakistan in eight ODIs, and came just a week after their shock victory over defending champions England.
Afghans have been glued to screens of all sizes in the past few days — from mobile phones, to restaurant TVs and a small number of big screens broadcasting in public parks.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have had fractious relations since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, with Islamabad claiming Kabul is failing to rein in militants plotting strikes on its soil.
Authorities recently pledged to evict 1.7 million undocumented Afghan migrants who have crossed into the country over the past several decades during successive conflicts.
Opening batsmen Ibrahim Zadran, with 87, was awarded player of the match and dedicated the win to “people who are sent from Pakistan back home to Afghanistan.”
Although records show cricket being played in Afghanistan more than a century ago, most of the country’s top players learned the game in refugee camps in Pakistan.
“We had never witnessed such an amazing performance,” said 23-year-old Taliban government employee Noor Ahmad. “Tonight Afghanistan’s people are enjoying it, and Pakistan’s people are crying.”
“We want to celebrate all night. We are going to live and enjoy the moment till morning,” he said.
Afghanistan’s win was hailed by the Taliban government, which has enforced an austere imagining of Islam squeezing women out of public life and effectively barring their participation in sport.
“We congratulate the national cricket team, cricket board, and all Afghans on this victory,” said Maulawi Abdul Kabir, political deputy of the Afghan prime minister’s office. “This competition showed that Afghan youths are capable in any field and can win. We wish them more success.”
Many members of the Afghan women’s cricket team fled the nation as the Taliban swept back to power.
This month players who settled in Australia said that they had been threatened for taking part in activities that brought “dishonor” to their faith, country or families.
There is still debate over whether Afghanistan should lose its International Cricket Council membership for cutting women out of the game, a move that would effectively ban their men from playing international matches.
For 30-year-old Hamidullah, Monday night’s win offered an uncomplicated moment of joy.
“We thank our national team from the bottom of our heart for this victory,” he said. “We waited forever to win against Pakistan, and finally, today was the day.”
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
RSS