Stanikzai bats for full-member status

Afgha­nistan captain Asghar Stanikzai said they were thrilled to find former international greats Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Michael Vaughan pitching for more opportunities for associate nations, and said they have the confidence to beat any full-member side.

"Definitely, we are proud to hear such tweets from cricket legends. It is true that the team is playing good cricket, so definitely we need ICC support for the upcoming World Cup (in 2019)," said Stanikzai.

The Afghanistan captain said they have requested the ICC to grant them full members status that they can play series against the bigger nations.

"In this World Cup many people thought that our games would be one-sided, but now (the opponents) are really preparing and planning, and scaring to be honest, that this is a side which can beat us,” he said.

"Our guys have the potential so we need the ICC's support. Definitely we are eager to play in each and every World Cup, and we have requested full members to play a series with us. If you only play one game with a team, you cannot compare how good they are, but if you play two or three matches, you have a good chance to beat them."

England captain Eoin Morgan acknowledged the challenge posed by Afghanistan.
"I think they (Afghanistan) are a dangerous side. They really play exciting brand of cricket," he said.

"Our priority is on winning. Tomorrow is a big game. Certainly we are not taking Afghanistan for granted. First and foremost we need to go into the game with the right mindset. We have been focussing on the two group games left. To get a win under our belt is key," Morgan said.

Morgan recalled playing their 2014 World Cup loss against the Netherlands with a wrong mindset. "Holland was a unique set of circumstances. We knew we were out of the tournament.

Probably we came into that game with a completely wrong mindset. We were flying directly after that game and have already packed our bags to leave. But the disappointment of being knocked out of the World Cup is horrific.