Friday 7 April 2017 12:48, UK
Afghanistan's cricketers will make history in July when they play at Lord's for the first time.
The current Intercontinental Cup leaders will be at the Home of Cricket for a 50-over fixture on July 11, taking on an MCC XI led by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.
Afghanistan are pushing for a crack at Test status and have two players - Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan - playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
Nabi and team-mate Hamid Hassan have also been part of the MCC's Young Cricketers Programme.
Afghanistan beat Ireland by an innings and 172 runs last month to move past their opponents at the top of the Intercontinental Cup standings.
Both teams have two games remaining in the competition and are going head-to-head for the title, with the winner getting a chance to take on the lowest-ranked Test side - currently Zimbabwe - to try and claim Test status.
MCC president Matthew Fleming, who has overseen training camps in Afghanistan, said: "I am thrilled that we will be welcoming Afghanistan to Lord's this summer. It is the latest landmark on a very exciting journey for Afghan cricket.
"It is the latest landmark on a very exciting journey for Afghan cricket, and MCC will need to field an extremely strong side in order to compete.
"We are delighted therefore that Brendon McCullum will captain MCC, as he will ensure the match is both competitive and exciting, played in the very best spirit. The whole club looks forward to what we know will be a wonderful and historic day."
