Afro-Asian Cup 2005 Africa XI v Asian X
Discuss Afro Asia Cup 
Afro-Asia talent on show
Aug 16 2005
The three-match Afro-Asia Cup offered peripheral players the opportunity to show off their talents. It also offered senior players a chance to stake their claim for a place in the international team to play world champions Australia later this year.
That was the view of the captains of the Africa and Asian teams, Shaun Pollock and Imzamam Ul-Haq, when they spoke to the media on Tuesday, ahead of the first match on Wednesday. The two captains also agreed that the series gave the players the chance to try out the new one-day international regulations in circumstances that were less pressured than they would be when playing for their country.
Pollock said it would be a good experience for the players from Kenya and Zimbabwe to go out onto the field with the South African team. Imzamam said the series would do much to promote good relations among cricketers on the sub-continent. "The four cricketing nations in Asia are used to playing against each other - it's going to be good to play with one another.
Africa XI team: (from) SM Pollock (Capt), HH Dippenaar, AB de Villiers, JH Kallis, AG Prince, JM Kemp, MV Boucher (Wkt), M Zondeki, JA Rudolph, N Boje, JL Ontong, SO Tikolo, CO Obuya, TM Odoyo, HH Streak, T Taibu, DW Steyn, GC Smith.
Asian XI team: (from) Inzamam-ul-Haq (Capt), V Sehwag, KC Sangakkara (Wkt), Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, M Muralitharan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Ashraful, A Kumble, Shoaib Akhtar, A Nehra, Z Khan, Khaled Mashud, MS Atapattu.
1st Match: Africa XI v Asian XI at Centurion, 17 Aug 2005; Match start scheduled for Noon local time (10am GMT)
Dravid and Jayasuriya drop out of Africa-Asia Cricket series 
Aug 15 2005
Rahul Dravid of India and Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka on Friday withdrew from next weeks one-day series between Asia and Africa, sending the already troubled inaugural event into a tail-spin. The star duo joined a steady parade of cricketers to opt out of the made-for-television series to be played in the South African venues of Centurion, Pretoria on April 17 and Durban on April 20 and 21. Indian cricket board secretary Karunakaran Nair said Dravid had withdrawn for unspecified personal reasons, while Jayasuriya wanted to recover from a shoulder injury sustained during the recent tri-series in Sri Lanka.
Pakistans Rana Naved-ul Hasan dropped out of the Asia team last week due to his commitments with English county Sussex, and seamers Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka and Irfan Pathan of India withdrew on Thursday due to injuries.
Africa are without the South African trio of Makhaya Ntini, Herschelle Gibbs and Andre Nel, who were not available, and another South African Albie Morkel and Zimbabwes Andy Blignaut due to injuries.
Back-in-team Ganguly protests at his omission
Aug 3 2005
The inaugural Asia-Africa cricket series to be played in South Africa later this month was plunged into controversy on Tuesday when former India captain
Sourav Ganguly protested at his omission.
Ganguly, only 33 runs away from becoming the third batsman after compatriot
Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan's Inzamam-ul Haq to score 10,000 one-day runs, said he was "disgusted" at being left out of the 15-man Asia squad.
"It is a raw deal," Ganguly told reporters in this town which is hosting a tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
"I may not have scored in my four one-dayers this year, but does anybodys selection anywhere depend on four matches?
"What about the nearly 10,000 one-day runs I have got? Dont they have value? Am I always to be the whipping boy?
"I am disgusted."
"What I can't understand is why the chief selectors of the four Test-playing nations did not do the choosing and picking?"
The Asian selection panel included Majid Khan of Pakistan, Ravi Shastri of India, Graeme Labrooy of Sri Lanka and Shafiq-ul Haque of Bangladesh, none of whom currently serve on their respective national selection committees.
Media reports, citing unnamed sources, said Majid and Shastri threatened to walk out of the panel when one of the Asian officials suggested that Ganguly be included in the squad.
Afro-Asia Cup: Inzamam-ul-Haq to lead Asian XI, Pollock to lead African XI
Aug 1 2005
Inzamam-ul-Haq will lead the Asian XI against the African XI in the forthcoming Afro-Asia Cup. He has
Rahul Dravid as his deputy, and a strong squad of 15 for the three one-day matches, which will be played in South Africa from August 17 to 21.
Virender Sehwag , Irfan Pathan and Anil Kumble are the other Indians in the team. Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas represent Sri Lanka while Mohammad Ashraful is the lone Bangladeshi in the team. Pakistan are well accounted for, with Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Akhtar making the cut.
The team was selected by a panel appointed by the Asian Cricket Council and comprised Majid Khan (Pakistan), Ravi Shastri (India), Graeme Labrooy (Sri Lanka) and Mohammed Shafiqul Haque (Bangladesh).
Meanwhile, Shaun Pollock has been named as captain of the Africa XI for the first two matches of the Afro-Asia Cup which kicks off on August 17, replacing Graeme Smith who will be serving a four-match ban.
Asian squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt),
Rahul Dravid ,
Virender Sehwag , Kumar Sangakarra, Sanath Jayasuriya, Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Naved-ul-Hasan, Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Ashraful, Anil Kumble, Shoaib Akhtar. Reserves Marvan Atapattu, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Khaled Mashud.
African squad: Shaun Pollock, Graeme Smith, Boeta Dippenaar, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Albie Morkel, Mark Boucher, Monde Zondeki, Jacques Rudolph, Nicky Boje, Justin Ontong, Steve Tikolo, Collins Obuya, Thomas Odoyo, Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut, Dale Steyn
Afro-Asian TV rights confirmed
July 30 2005
The television rights for the 2005 Afro-Asia cup have finally been confirmed this morning, with Nimbus Sports International of Singapore announced as the sole partner. A lack of interest by the front-runners ESPN/Star and Ten Sports, both of whom are otherwise committed, had dampened the appeal of the event, as had the lack of availability of leading players.
The 2005 Afro-Asia Cup, to be hosted by South Africa, starts later this month with three one- day Internationals, the first being held at Centurion. The ICC match referee appointed for the Cup is Clive Lloyd, and the umpires Steve Davis (Australia) and Billy Doctrove (West Indies) will officiate in the three games.
Afro-Asian Cup in August
July 19 2005
The first Afro-Asian Cup, featuring three One-day Internationals between an Asia XI and Africa XI, will be played in South Africa in the middle of August. Afro-Asian Cricket Cooperation chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya told reporters in Kolkata on Monday that the first game would be played on August 17 at Supersport Park, Centurion, in Pretoria, while the second and third are slated to be held on August 20 and 21 at the Sahara stadium, Kingsmead, in Durban.
The matches have been recognized by the International Cricket Council as official ODIs, he said.
The Asia Cricket Council's selection panel comprises Majid Khan (Pakistan), Ravi Shastri (India), Sidharth Wettimuny (Sri Lanka). Bangladesh is yet to nominate its member on the panel.
The African Cricket Association's panel to select the Africa XI comprises Mike Proctor (South Africa), Psyche Nkala (Zimbabwe) and Tom Tikolo (Kenya).
Dalmiya said the prize-money for the series would be US $100,000. The AACC has selected
'Cricket for Unity' as the slogan for the tourney. The teams are likely to be finalised by August 1, Dalmiya said. Proceeds from the series will be used to cover costs and to help develop cricket in Africa and Asia at all levels.
On the 1st Day of the 2nd Test, India versus Australia, in March 2001, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Harbhajan Singh achieved what no other Indian cricketer had ever done - he snared a magnificent Hat Trick. 
