The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday granted the test cricket nation status to Afghanistan and Ireland at the council’s annual meeting in London, an official said.
After becoming full member of the group, Afghanistan will avail all privileges others are granted, said Frid Hotak, the Afghanistan Cricket Board spokesman.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News the board had submitted the request to the ICC a few days ago seeking full membership of the council.
He said Afghanistan were granted the full membership after making tremendous strides in all departments of the game.
He said ACB director general Shukrullah Atif Mashal, CEO Shafiqullah Stanikzai and operations head Feroz Khan attended the ICC meeting in London.
The ICC said on Thursday voted to admit the two nations into the elite group permitted to play traditional five-day test matches, taking the total number of countries playing tests to 12.
"For a nation like Afghanistan it is a huge and remarkable achievement, the entire nation will be celebrating across all five regions and different provinces. It is the perfect Eid gift," Stanikzai said.
Bangladesh were previously the last country to be granted Test status in 2000.
Afghanistan and Ireland have joined an exclusive club that also includes founder members Australia and England, who played the first Test match at Melbourne in 1877, South Africa, New Zealand, the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
"It´s fantastic news for all involved with Irish cricket and I´d like to thank the ICC and the members for the positive outcome," said Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom in a statement.
"Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport and it´s what we´ve all been aiming for."
