Ireland and Afghanistan have both been awarded Test match status by the International Cricket Council (ICC)

The move, which means the two countries become full members of cricket’s global governing body, expands the number of test-playing nations from 10 to 12.

Both countries were confirmed as full members after a unanimous vote at an ICC Council meeting in London on Thursday.

It means their men’s teams will now be eligible to play Test cricket following a recommendation that their applications met newly approved member criteria.

Gaining full member status means both nations have joined an exclusive club that also includes founding 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, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.