The two nations were granted eligibility after an unanimous vote at an ICC Full Council meeting in London on Thursday (22 June), where it was ruled that their respective applications met newly-approved criteria outlined by cricket's governing body. Ireland and Afghanistan have been granted Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC), becoming the first countries to receive full membership in 17 years. Two years later they scored a shock upset of Pakistan on St Patrick's Day in Jamaica and they've never looked back, qualifying for two subsequent World Cups in which they defeated England and West Indies to further press their case that they could maintain competitiveness with other Test nations.
In cricket, the International Cricket Council votes to elevate Afghanistan and Ireland to full Test status. The two countries become the 11th and 12th Test nations.