New Delhi: The Afro-Asia Cup, which was disbanded in 2007, could make a return in the future but needs time to be executed. A joint initiative by the Asian and African cricket boards, the Afro-Asia Cup was a series of charity games (ODIs) that were played between Asian XI and African XI in 2005 and 2007, with the proceeds going for the development of cricket in both continents.
If the Afro-Asia Cup gets revived, it could see the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma teaming up with their Pakistani counterparts like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi in the same side. However, according to a Cricbuzz report, it may take a bit longer than expected.
Based on the report, the negotiations began a couple of years ago. Jay Shah, who was then BCCI secretary as well as the head of Asian Cricket Council (ACC), was open to the idea of reviving the tournament. “We have tried to revive the Afro-Asia Cup.
Jay was on board and Mahinda Vallipuram (head of Malaysia Cricket and current ICC director) actively participated in the discussions,” Sumod Damodar, a veteran ICC hand and head of Botswana Cricket, told Cricbuzz. In fact, Damodar was one of those involved when the Afro-Asia Cup was first played in 2005.
Held in Centurion and Durban, the inaugural Afro-Asia Cup saw the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan, Rahul Dravid, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar and Virender Sehwag teaming up together for Asian XI. While the 2005 edition was played in 50-over format, the 2007 edition saw games being played in both T20 and ODI formats.
In fact, the second edition, which was held in India, saw the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh participating for the cause. According to a new plan, the boards are planning to hold the tournament in three stages – U-19, emerging and senior (involving current international stars) levels.
“That is the plan. We have yet to decide on the frequency – whether it will be annual or biennial. Much will depend on the calendar, the Future Tours Programme (FTP), and the international commitments of the players,” said Damodar.
