In the province of Khost, Afghanistan, a remarkable and joyous night unfolded. It was a night of celebration, one that residents would remember for a lifetime. Fireworks and gunshots painted the sky, and an air of revelry filled the streets. Noor Ali Zadran, a witness to this extraordinary night, described, “I have never seen such celebrations in my lifetime,” adding, “That was the mood in Kabul and the entire country, not just in Khost.”
The sounds of gunshots and fireworks continued for over 40 minutes, and Noor Ali thought the jubilation would never end. “It was the best night of our lives,” Zadran exclaimed during his conversation. In a country marred by perpetual conflict, moments like these were rare and precious. Afghans were basking in their rare moments of joy under the moonlit sky.
As reached out to Noor Ali during a long drive, he initially protested, “I cannot speak for five hours; I am on a drive.” However, he couldn’t resist discussing the World Cup victory over Pakistan and the ensuing celebrations, which were too sweet to pass up.
For Noor Ali, the victory held extra significance as he had coached some of the players on the winning team. His nephew, Ibrahim Zadran, who was awarded the Man of the Match against Pakistan, and spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, were among those he mentored. Noor Ahmed, the team’s bowling hero, had also played and practiced with their group. Even Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the opener, had received coaching from Noor Ali.
Noor Ali took immense pride in Ibrahim’s batting, noting, “They came to me when they were under 16, and since then I have known them. Both are my nephews, and the fact that they are part of this squad is a matter of pride for me.”
Noor Ali’s influence on Ibrahim’s game was evident as some of the shots he played resembled his uncle’s style. However, Zadran Sr. acknowledged Ibrahim’s remarkable improvement, stating, “I was told by an Indian friend how Sachin Tendulkar would bat for hours with a straight bat. I told the same to Ibrahim, and then suddenly I found out he is playing with a straight bat. In the last two games, he was technically very good, his balance was perfect.”
Noor Ali had trained Ibrahim and Mujeeb inside his home compound, where a cricket pitch was located. Despite being a small town, it had made significant contributions to Afghan cricket.
Ibrahim, at only 21 years old, had already made a mark in his career, featuring in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, with notable centuries in ODIs. His partnership with Gurbaz was instrumental in Afghanistan’s victory over Pakistan.
The win was seen as a turning point, and Ibrahim dedicated his Man of the Match honor to Afghan refugees who had been repatriated from Pakistan. Noor Ali believed that the victory signaled greater achievements to come, rejecting the notion that Afghanistan were underdogs against Pakistan. He expressed confidence in their potential to reach the World Cup semifinals.
Afghanistan had accumulated four points from five games, with two wins and three losses. Their journey forward would require some luck and extraordinary performances against formidable teams. It was a challenging road ahead, but as the history of cricket has shown, stranger things have happened.
