Afghanistan team

Afghanistan's cricket team received a heroes' homecoming in Kabul on Tuesday after qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. After touching down in the Afghan capital, captain Asghar Stanikzai warned that his minnows were ready to cause some shocks in the 50-over global showpiece in England next year. "The other teams should understand that we are a strong and rising team," he said at a special ceremony where they received a standing ovation from an invitation-only crowd. Afghanistan had looked set to miss out on a second straight World Cup appearance after suffering three straight defeats in the group stage of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. But they fought back from the brink of an early exit and qualified by reaching Sunday's final, albeit with help from results elsewhere.