India, Pakistan players likely to team up as Afro-Asia Cup’s revival on cards

The Africa Cricket Association (ACA) has unveiled its intent to bring back the Afro-Asia Cup, a cricket series where teams from Asia and Africa go head-to-head in white-ball matches. This announcement followed the ACA’s Annual General Meeting held on Saturday.

At the meeting, the ACA appointed a temporary six-member committee tasked with reshaping the organization and expanding competitive chances for players across Africa. Among the committee’s primary goals is to build collaborations with cricket associations such as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and explore initiatives like the Afro-Asia Cup.

The Afro-Asia Cup has had only two editions so far, held in 2005 and 2007. A third edition was set for Kenya in 2009 but was ultimately canceled. Now, nearly two decades later, there’s a real possibility of this unique tournament making a comeback.

If the tournament proceeds, cricket fans might witness players from countries like Pakistan and India competing together on the same team. ACA’s interim chair, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, highlighted the financial boost this event could bring. During a press conference, he shared that he’s had discussions with ACC officials and with the African cricket community, both of whom are eager to revive the tournament.

“The Afro-Asia Cup, besides the excitement of the game, is a crucial financial opportunity for our organization, and there’s a strong interest from both sides,” Mukuhlani stated. “We’ve engaged with our ACC colleagues, and our African representatives are very keen to see the tournament back.”

However, ACC representatives had not responded to ESPN Cricinfo at the time of reporting, and no formal request has yet been submitted to the ACC.