Imagine a bearded batsman, a la Dr W.G.Grace, playing a cover drive in the war-torn city of Kabul.

The game of cricket has become a popular past time amidst reverberation of blasts and gunshots in Afghanistan.

Indeed, the game has reached such a level that an Afghan national team has travelled to Pakistan on its first official tour and is hoping to gain worldwide recognition.

"We have a message for the world and it is that we do not play war games only, we can also play cricket," team captain Allahdad Noori told BBC Sport Online following their arrival in Peshawar.

"We want recognition in world cricket and when the International Cricket Council meets in London in June, we will apply for Associate membership," said Noori, who is also the president of the Afghan Cricket Federation.

It took the 17 players and three team officials only an hour to cross the border into Pakistan where they are scheduled to play four limited over games - two each in Peshawar and Rawalpindi.

They arrived wearing traditional dress, but will play in blue trousers and white shirts.

"Yes, we are conservative Islamists but the game is played like it is played internationally, in trousers and shirts and not in Shalwar-kameez. Blue is our national colour and we can't go without it," Noori explained.

The team had to push their way past fellow countrymen trying to escape a prolonged civil war and drought before being welcomed by former Pakistani Test cricketers Farukh Zaman and Rehmat Gul.

And Noori was not slow to express gratitude to their hosts.