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Thousands of fans attended a Kabul funeral Thursday for Afghan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran, who helped shape the country's early rise in international cricket.Zadran died Tuesday -- a day before his 39th birthday -- at a hospital in India, where he was being treated for a rare immune system disorder.Some of Afghanistan's biggest cricket stars, including Mohammad Nabi and Fazal Haq Farooqi, attended the funeral at the Eid Gah mosque in central Kabul.Several Taliban officials were also present."When I saw on social media that Shapoor isn't anymore among us, tears starting dropping from my eyes," said Wahidullah Wahdat, a 27-year-old businessman who attended.Zadran, a pin-up idol with flowing long hair, was a "humble and loyal person", Wahdat added.Mohammad Usman Maftoon, 18, called Zadran's death "a big loss for the nation".Afghanistan's cricket board hailed Zadran as a "foundation-laying figure" of the country's sport, whose dedication and commitment helped propel the national team to the international stage.A strapping left-arm quick, Zadran played 44 one-day internationals and 36 Twenty20 matches between 2009 and 2020, representing Afghanistan during a period of rapid growth for the sport in the country.He featured in four T20 World Cups between 2010 and 2016, taking nine wickets in as many matches."He was among the proud cricketers who stood at the heart of Afghanistan's early cricket journey and helped build the path that brought Afghan cricket to the international stage," the cricket board said. 

Just before nightfall on Wednesday, the near-deserted streets of Afghanistan's capital Kabul suddenly filled with people -- mobile phones everywhere had pinged back to life.With phones pressed to their ears or tightly gripped in their hands, Afghans poured onto the streets to check if others were also online."Congratulations, the internet is back!" a shopkeeper shouted, as drivers honked in response.Children were handed balloons, parents bought sweets and friends gathered in restaurants -- all while chatting animatedly on their phones.For 48 hours, Afghans had been offline -- cut off from mobile and internet services -- in a telecommunications shutdown imposed by authorities without warning."It felt we had gone back centuries. We were thinking of sending letters just to get updates from our families," mobile phone shop owner Mohammad Rafi said."The streets were empty -- it felt like a holiday even though it was a weekday. But now, even in evening, it's crowded again," the 33-year-old added.Sohrab Ahmadi, a 26-year-old delivery driver, had sat idle for two days, unable to reach clients through the apps he works for.Now, rows of bikes lined up to collect orders from restaurants lit by neon signs or from juice vendors playing music."It's like Eid al-Adha; it's like preparing to go for prayer," he said.Also visible on the streets was an increase in the number of women, who have faced sweeping restrictions under the Taliban government, including a ban on education beyond primary school."I can't tell you how relieved I am. I'm breathing again," said one young woman, who is studying online and asked not to be named."Online classes are the only hope left for Afghan girls."The United Nations said the shutdown in connectivity threatened economic stability and exacerbated one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.The Taliban government have yet to comment on the blackout.However, it came weeks after the government said it would begin cutting high-speed internet in some provinces to prevent "immorality".Balkh provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said at the time the ban had been ordered by the Taliban's shadowy supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.The internet was still a relatively nascent technology during the Taliban's first rule between 1996 and 2001, when the country was too war-torn and poor to build infrastructure.But in recent decades, the economy has become increasingly dependent on internet connectivity.Even in rural areas, many Afghans use mobile phones to conduct business."The world has progressed. This is not like 30 years ago," said mobile credit seller Ghulam Rabbani, whose store was packed on Wednesday night."We were hopeful that internet would return. It was a loss for everyone -- including the government."