Afghanistan qualify for world Twenty20 showpiece

Afghanistan's fairytale story in the world of cricket continued on Saturday as they defeated hosts United Arab Emirates to reach their first major finals, the World Twenty20 finals in the West Indies which runs from April 30 to May 16.

It is a remarkable feat by the Afghans - most of whom learnt to play cricket in refugee camps over the Pakistan border - as they were in the fifth division of the world cricket league just two years ago.

Afghanistan, who showed their talent when they came within one place of reaching the 2011 World Cup finals, will play either Ireland or The Netherlands in Saturday's tournament final.