Afghanistan is the first foreign team to play in Pakistan since March 2009 when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus at Lahore and killed six police officials and a van driver.

Beginning Wednesday in Islamabad, Afghanistan will play three one-day internationals against a Pakistan 'A' team.

Rawalpindi will host the second game on Friday with Faisalabad hosting the day-night match on Sunday.

“This trip of Afghanistan to Pakistan is a support to Pakistani cricket,” Mangal said Tuesday. “We are here to open the gates of international cricket in Pakistan.” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt is also hoping the visit of Afghanistan will encourage other teams to return to his country.

“We want to send a message to the world that Pakistan is a safe place to play cricket and the people of Pakistan would welcome any team coming here,” he said in a statement. “I hope this tour will pave the way for more such visits by foreign teams to Pakistan.” The International Cricket Council has set up a Pakistan Task Team to identify options to help restore international confidence in Pakistan from a safety point of view, but there are still no plans for the country to host international cricket in the near future.

Mangal believes Afghanistan can prove its own point to the ICC with its performances in Pakistan, a view echoed by coach Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper.

“We are here for ourselves because we don't get international matches as an associate member (of ICC),” Latif said.

Afghanistan shocked Pakistan in the semifinals of the Asian Games Twenty20 event at Guangzhou, China last year and Mangal said that result proved his team has the ability to beat anyone.

“Asian Games was the biggest ever thing happened in our cricketing history,” he said. “Playing against Pakistan 'A' is also the biggest chance for us, we can show talent to the cricketing world.

“We can request the ICC or any other cricketing authority to give us some more matches against test playing nations and hopefully we will play (the full-strength) Pakistan team one day here in Pakistan as well.” Mangal, 28, is one of the senior players in the Afghanistan team. He has played 16 ODIs and eight Twenty20 games and played cricket during his stay in refugee camps in Pakistan during the Soviet war in the 1980s.

“I still remember those days when I was immigrant here during the Soviet war,” he said. “We learnt cricket here and it's a gift we took back home.” Mangal is part of a strong squad with experienced players like opening batsman Karim Sadiq, middle order batsman Mohammad Nabi and left-arm fast bowler Shapoor Zadran among its ranks.

In a war-torn country, Latif said Afghanistan has at least 120-125 players who compete in regional tournaments.

“Out of these at least 30-35 are capable of playing against associate nations,” he said. “Not many people have seen us in action on the cricketing field, but I hope we will give a good competition to Pakistan 'A'.” Pakistan 'A' will be led by left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir and also have international players like Umar Amin and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.