Pakistani, Indian cricketers could play as teammates in a revived Afro-Asia Cup

Pakistan's and India's players great each others after the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan was called off due to rain in Pallekele on September 2, 2023. (AP/File)

• Africa Cricket Association says both ACA and Asian Cricket Council want tournament’s revival
• Pakistani and Indian cricketers in 2005 and 2007 played under Asia XI squad as teammates

ISLAMABAD: In what would be a rare sight, prominent Pakistani and Indian cricketers could play for the same Asia XI squad, with efforts underway to revive the Afro-Asia Cup after almost two decades, the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) said recently. 
The Afro-Asia Cup is a series of 50-over white-ball matches that have been played in the past between Asian XI and African XI teams. The tournament was only played twice, in 2005 in South Africa and in 2007 in India. A third edition scheduled for 2009 in Kenya never took place. 
Political tensions between India and Pakistan mean that the two countries have played only one white-ball bilateral series since 2012-13. The two countries only play against each other at neutral venues and at International Cricket Council (ICC) events. Pakistan traveled to India last year for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup but India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.
The Africa Cricket Association (ACA) held its annual general meeting on Saturday during which it decided to reach out to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and explore cross-continental opportunities such as the Afro-Asia Cup. 
“The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings the much-needed financial input to the organization, and the appetite is huge from both ends,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, interim chair of the ACA, who is also the Zimbabwe Cricket chair, said at a press conference on Saturday. 
“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.”
Cricket website ESPNcricinfo reported on Tuesday that no formal request has been made to the ACC, neither did any discussion around reviving the Afro-Asia Cup took place at the body’s recent meeting in Malaysia. 
In 2005, the Asia XI squad was captained by Pakistani batting icon Inzamam-ul-Haq and included Indian legends Rahul Dravid, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble. 
The 2007 Asia squad comprised Indian cricketers M.S. Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, HarbHajjan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistani cricketers Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar.