27 February,2015 08:22 AM IST | | Agencies
Hundreds of jubilant Afghan cricket fans flooded onto the streets of major cities yesterday, dancing, waving flags and firing AK-47s in celebration at their team's historic World Cup win over Scotland
Afghanistan fans celebrate their country's win in Jalalabad yesterday
Kandahar: Hundreds of jubilant Afghan cricket fans flooded onto the streets of major cities yesterday, dancing, waving flags and firing AK-47s in celebration at their team's historic World Cup win over Scotland.
Afghanistan fans celebrate their country's win in Jalalabad yesterday. Pic/AFP
In Kandahar, the southern city once famous as the Taliban heartland and now a bastion of cricket, ecstatic fans danced in the streets and fired off their weapons - a traditional Afghan gesture of celebration.
"After Afghanistan lost the seventh wicket, I smashed my phone in anger and cursed my team. Now they have won, I cannot believe it, but I am very happy," Abdul Samad told AFP.
Another fan, Khalil Ahmad, said he feared the worst as the team's batsmen crumbled. "I was watching the game from the very first ball, when Afghanistan lost its seven wickets, I was very disappointed."
"Later, I saw Shenwari was playing really well." In Kabul groups of fans drove the city's streets, waving flags and chanting slogans from car windows.
After the win, President Ashraf Ghani issued a statement extending congratulations to the Afghan cricketers and urged them to carry on their exploits in their next game.
