Afghanistan zindabad

Asian Cricket Council Trophy: Upon successfully trapping Mustafizur Rahman lbw, Naveen-ul-Haq enthusiastically sprinted around the field at Arnos Vale Stadium in the wee hours of Tuesday. His teammates, as well as support staff members in the dugout, rushed to join him in celebrating Afghanistan’s unprecedented entry into the T20 World Cup semifinals with an eight-run win against Bangladesh.

Back home, streets from Kabul to Kandahar, Khost to Nangarhar, and Jalalabad to Laghman erupted into joyful celebrations. Teary-eyed cricket-loving fans rushed out into the streets to celebrate the team, which added another glorious chapter to its fantastic rise in international cricket.

“The atmosphere was of very, very big celebrations. It's something very special which has happened and everyone in the country is talking about it,” Raees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan’s assistant coach, told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.