New Delhi. The African Cricket Association (ACA) is very positive about the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup. At the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, ACA formed a final committee of six office-bearers whose main objective is to reshape the ACA structure and enhance opportunities for players on the continent. A white-ball series is played in Afro-Asia between Asia XI and Africa XI. One of the objectives of the interim committee formed by the ACA is to liaise with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to start a tournament like the Afro-Asia Cup.
Before this, this tournament has been held only twice. For the first time it was organized in South Africa in 2005 while for the second time it was played in India in 2007. Its third edition was to be played in Kenya in 2009 but it was never held further and two decades later it could once again be played. If this tournament takes place then players from India and Pakistan can be seen representing the same team Asia XI. ACA interim chief Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who is also head of Zimbabwe Cricket, told a press conference that organizing the Afro-Asia Cup beyond cricket could also bring financial benefits to the organisation.
We have also discussed this with our counterparts in the Asian Cricket Council and of course with our African colleagues and they are in favor of its resumption. Asian Cricket Council representatives had not commented on the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup at the time of going to press. In 2005, a three-match ODI series was played which ended in a 1-1 draw due to the last match being washed out due to rain, while in 2007, Asia XI won all three matches. The Asia XI in 2005 was led by Inzamam Ul Haq and Rahul Dravid, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble were also part of the series. Whereas in 2007, the Asia XI squad included Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar along with Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar.
At that time, relations between India and Pakistan were not sour outside the cricket field and both the countries were also playing bilateral series against each other regularly. The picture changed after the Mumbai attacks in 2008. However, a white-ball bilateral series was also played between India and Pakistan in 2012–13. But in the meantime, these two countries have faced each other only in ICC tournaments and Asia Cup. India last played Pakistan in the 2008 Asia Cup. According to ACA Chief Executive Officer Qasim Suleiman, the organization is also considering starting an Africa Premier League on the lines of the IPL, although this is currently in the planning stage. The SA20 League is the only T20 franchise tournament currently being played in Africa.