The fans who were on their toes till the last ball come up on the roads and streets to celebrate the matchless victory of the team against strong South Africa in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup match at Colombo, Sri Lanka.
They were holding pictures of the both locally famous Umar Gul and spin maestro Saeed Ajmal and dancing on the roads and streets of City, Cantonments and University areas with many aerial firing were also heard in jubilation of the team’s victory.
Heroic Umar Gul turned an unlikely hero with the bat as Pakistan survived a middle-order collapse to beat South Africa by two wickets in the Super Eights of the World Twenty20 on Friday. Pakistan, chasing South Africa’s modest 133-6, crashed to 76-7 in the 15th over before Gul and Umar Akmal combined to share a match-winning partnership of 49 in 27 balls. Gul smashed two fours and three sixes in his 32 off 17 balls before he was dismissed off the last ball of the 19th over by fast bowler Dale Steyn with nine more needed.
Akmal, a batsman to be watched, unbeaten on 43 of 41 balls and spin maestro Saeed Ajmal at the end come up with great finishing boundary by edging Morne Morkel for winning boundary. The fans were also chanting slogans in favour of Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Umar Akmal who rescued the team with a fine finishing.
The peoples go bang with joy when Pakistan overwhelmed strong South Africa in the Super-8 as the matchless victory masterminded by not a regular batsman Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, sent delirious fans pouring onto the streets to celebrate. The fans were dancing all the time in jubilations.
“We are really happy at the win as Pakistan has taken a good start in the Super-8 where strong and muscular teams are playing,” said fan Paras Khan where hundreds of other dancing fans were present in front of a big Commercial Deans Trade Center.
“We have decided to be on the roads till late night, Shakeel Khan told APP when asked about his jubilations. “The victory has given us joy at a time when our country is passing through a host of challenges,” a student Naveed Khan. “First we were stick to the PTV Sports Channel with our friends and we were sure that the team would win against South Africa,” Javed Ali, a businessman told this scribe. “All our friend had gathered at a hotel to watch the match together so to celebrate the victory,” said Shehzad Khan, a shopkeeper. Inam Ullah, a student of first year, who had come out in Saad Bazar with his friends to celebrate the win said, “Having been skeptical that Pakistan would perform well against strong South Africa as we are really delighted at the victory.”
“It’s a superb performance. Our players have given us great joy and we are proud of them,” said a friend of Inam Ullah. “We have contributed to have a big screen TV to watch all the matches and certainly it gives us opportunity to dance on together,” Miraj Ali, a local shopkeeper said in jubilation.
“It’s a wonderful win and showed the fighting abilities of our team. Our players have proved that they are also good chasers,” he added. But he said Pakistan must not run away with themselves and should sit down and analyze their weak points, a first class cricketer of the Cantonment area Mehfooz Sabri said.
