THE revival of the Afro-Asia Cup — a series of white-ball matches played between an Asian XI and an African XI — is on the cards according to the Africa Cricket Association (ACA).
The continental body held its AGM in Harare on Saturday, where it appointed a six-person interim committee to restructure the ACA and increase the number of competitive opportunities for players on the continent.
One of its aims is to reach out to other organisations, such as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and explore cross-continental opportunities such as the Afro-Asia Cup.
The tournament was only played twice before, in 2005 in South Africa and 2007 in India. A third edition, scheduled for 2009 in Kenya, never took place but almost two decades later, it may happen after all. Should the tournament take place again, it presents a unique opportunity for players from both India and Pakistan — who do not play bilateral cricket against each other currently — to be part of the same Asia XI team.
“The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings the much-needed financial input to the organisation, and the appetite is huge from both ends,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, interim chair of the ACA, who is also the Zimbabwe Cricket Chair, said.
“We have had conversations with our counterparts within the Asia Cricket Council, and obviously our African contingents, they want the Afro-Asia Cup to be revived.” —Cricinfo