Discussions are underway to revive the Afro-Asian Cup, a prestigious tournament that was previously held twice in the mid-2000s.
The news follows the recent appointment of Jay Shah as chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and ongoing changes to the board and Chief Executives Committee.
The combined teams of Asia and Africa played international games during the Afro-Asian Cup. Indian and Pakistani cricketers like MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar have played together in this marquee tournament played in 2005 and 2007.
The Asia XI consisted of players from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Players from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya have been selected to form the African XI.
The three-match ODI series ended 1-1 in 2005. Asia XI won the single T20I match and the three-match ODI series to complete the clean sweep.
The trophy was abandoned due to geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan and broadcast issues.
There were earlier plans to revive the tournament in the T20 format in 2023, but these did not materialise. However, Forbes reported that there is a chance that the incident could be revived.
The tournament was planned to be held in the middle of 2023 in the T20 format, with the participation of players from the Associate countries.
However, these plans fell through due to problems within the African Cricket Association (ACA). South Africa and Zimbabwe have taken steps to stabilize ACA and cricket development.
Sumod Damodar – No Adequate Momentum in Afro-Asia Cup
According to a recent report by Forbes, former African Cricket Association (ACA) chairman Sumod Damodar expressed regret for not pushing harder for the return of the Afro-Asia Cup.
He admitted that the lack of understanding within the ACA has hindered the revival of the tournament.
“Personally, I am very sad that it (Afro-Asian Cup) did not happen. There was not adequate speed through the ACA, but it is being revised. I think it was mostly a lack of understanding and not getting used to the concept. Our members regret it. It was necessary to send him to Africa,” Damodar told Forbes.
Damodar is optimistic that new ICC chairman Jay Shah and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) development chief Mahinda Vallipuram can help revive the Afro-Asia Cup. He said that they are active for the return of the tournament.
“Now Mahinda on the ICC board and Jay Shah running the ICC can give it a little more push. Both of them have always been active in making it happen,” said Damodar.
This Match Can Break Down Barriers – Sumod Damodar
Sumod Damodar believes that stars like Virat Kohli and Babar Azam at the Afro-Asia Cup can break down political barriers and foster positive relations. He added that the players are generally not hostile towards each other and will be eager to participate.
“These matches can break the barriers that are there politically. Cricket can help build bridges instead of burning it. I personally don’t believe the players are hostile towards each other, so I’m sure they’ll be up for it,” Damodar commented.
Stars like Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, along with Pakistani players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, could feature in the Asia XI if the Afro-Asia Cup is successfully resumed.
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