Kohli, Babar To Play In Same Team? Indo-Pak Players Set To Unite As Iconic Tournament Could Return After 2 Decades

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam could play in the same team Photo : AP

KEY HIGHLIGHTS The tournament is set to return after 17 years

India and Pakistan players could play in the same team

The competition last took place in 2007

While bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan is far away from resuming, the players from the two countries could play in the same team, and the iconic Afro-Asian Cup is set to make a comeback after almost two decades. The tournament last took place in 2007, but the stage is being set for the competition to return to the cricket calendar.

The African Cricket Association (ACA) revealed that the tournament is on the cards with a series of white ball matches set to be played. The competition sees the best XI of African and Asian players go head-to-head against each other. The first edition of the tournament took place in 2005 on South African soil. India hosted the 2007 edition, but the tournament has been on the sidelines ever since.

Post their Annual General Meeting, the ACA pointed out the tournament would give a financial boost to the organisation and revealed they had discussed the tournament with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

"The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings much-needed financial input to the organisation, and the appetite is huge from both ends. We have had conversations with our counterparts within the Asia Cricket Council, and obviously our African contingents want the Afro-Asia Cup to be revived," said Tavengwa Mukuhlani, interim chair of the ACA, at a press conference.

A report by EspnCricinfo stated that the ACA has yet to make any formal request to the ACC. The Asian cricket governing body did not discuss the tournament at their recent meeting in Malaysia.

If the tournament does return, players from both India and Pakistan could be teammates for the Asian side, as was the case in the 2005 and 2007 editions. Top quality players from both countries as well as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh played in both editions.

In 2005, the Asian team was led by Inzamam-Ul Haq and included five Indians (Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble, Ashish Nehra, and Rahul Dravid). In 2007, Mahela Jayawardene led the team with MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and Zaheer Khan in the squad.

The competition to be part of the Asian squad will be much tougher this time around with Afghanistan's recent growth.

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