Kohli, Bumrah to pair up with Babar, Rizwan? Reports say now-discarded Afro-Asia Cup could return soon

India and Pakistan might not have played bilateral cricket for over a decade, but if the latest reports are to be believed, they might play together in the same team. Yes, you read it right.

For cricket fans worldwide, watching ace players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah play in the same team alongside Pakistan’s Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi would be a dream. Jay Shah, the new ICC chairman, is said to be bringing back the now-defunct Afro-Asia Cup.

Last played in 2007, the Afro-Asia Cup, first thought of by Jagmohan Dalmiya and Percy Sonn, could pave its way back; however, not so soon.

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Considering grand changes happening within the ICC and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), with Shah winning the race to head the apex body and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi assumed to replace Shah as ACC head, the return of this intercontinental competition is on the cards.

Per the report in the Cricbuzz, Shah, BCCI secretary, showed interest in bringing this competition back to the international calendar a couple of years ago; however, plenty of work needs to be done to make this a reality.

"We have tried to revive the Afro-Asia Cup. Jay was on board, and Mahinda Vallipuram (head of Malaysia Cricket and current ICC director) actively participated in the discussions," Sumod Damodar, a veteran ICC hand, said in a chat with Cricbuzz.

Damodar, Botswana Cricket head, also contesting for a place in the CEC from Associate Nations, was one of those involved to stage this competition nearly two decades ago.

The beginning of Afro-Asia Cup

Starting in 2005, the first of the two contested editions took place in Centurion and Durban, while Bengaluru and Chennai in India staged the second edition two years later in 2007. As initially planned for three editions, the deal broke due to fallout with the broadcasters.

Damodar also revealed its business model, where 80 per cent of the revenue generated from this tournament would go to the African continent, with the remaining sum distributed among the cash-rich Asian board.

However, per the new plan discussed, the Asian and African cricket boards aim to engage at multiple levels, with matches between the continents to be played in three stages - development (primarily at the under-19 level, seen as an investment), emerging, and pinnacle levels, with the latter involving current international players.

"That is the plan. We have yet to decide on the frequency - whether it will be annual or biennial. Much will depend on the calendar, the Future Tours Programme (FTP), and the international commitments of the players," Damodar continued.

(With inputs from agencies)