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Virat Kohli, Babar Azam To Play In The Same Team Next Year?
The Afro-Asia Cup was played in 2005 and 2007 before it was scrapped due to broadcasting issues
17 June 2022 • 5:02 PM
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam (Image source: Twitter
New Delhi: Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are among the best players going around in world cricket. Virat has established himself as a modern-day great. Babar, on the other hand, is also on his way to greatness with consistent performances over the years. Babar is currently the No 1 batter in ODI and T20I rankings.
India-Pakistan relations are in turmoil due to border tensions, but cricket has kept the common people from both countries connected. Virat Kohli enjoys a massive fan following in Pakistan, while Babar Azam has earned praise from many Indian fans. Recently, many Pakistani fans were seen raising banners in support of Virat Kohli, who is going through a lean patch, praying for his 71st century, during Pakistan matches.
Meanwhile, in a great news, the fans may see Virat Kohli and Babar Azam play together in the same team, during the Afro-Asia Cup, which is set to be played in 2023. The tournament sees players from Asian and African nations rub shoulders against each other. The tournament was played in 2005 and 2007 before it was scrapped due to political and broadcasting issues. However, the tournament, once again, is expected to see daylight. The organisers are planning to resume the tournament in a T20 format. It’s likely to be played in June-July next year.
“We haven’t got confirmation from the boards yet. We are still working on the white paper and it will be submitted to both boards,” ACC head of commercial and events Prabhakaran Thanraj told Forbes. “But our plan is for the best players from India and Pakistan to be playing in the Asian XI. Once plans are finalized we will go into the market for sponsorship and a broadcaster.”
“I would love to see the opportunity to build the bridge and allow the players to play together. I’m sure the players want it to happen and to keep the politics away from it. It would be a beautiful thing to see players from Pakistan and India playing on the same team,” said Damodar, who is on the influential Chief Executives’ Committee.
Players like Virender Sehwag, Shoaib Akhtar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Sourav Ganguly teamed up in the previous editions to take on the African Lions. If the tournament does get a green signal, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, being the top players, should feature in it, which will allow the fans to see them bat together.