Afro-Asia Cup rises from the dead

The Afro-Asia Cup, the tournament that few seem to want, appears to have been given a new lease of life after the Asian Cricket Council agreed a new commercial deal with Nimbus.

Under the terms of the contract, Nimbus will market the event globally. In 2005 the company signed a three-year deal to cover the Afro-Asia Cup for an estimated US$12 million but withdrew from that after the first event proved less than popular. ESPN-Star stepped in at short notice to cover the 2007 event.

Plans to host the third tournament in Kenya in 2008 never got off the ground, but it now appears that Nairobi is back on the schedule to host the 2009 Afro-Asia Cup with it moving to India in 2010.

While there is no questioning that the competition raises valuable funds for the ACC and the Africa Cricket Association, there appears to be little appetite for it among the public or, more crucially, the players from the major countries, whose presence is needed to encourage sponsors and media.

"The Afro-Asia Cup was formed primarily to raise vital development funds for cricket in both continents," Syed Ashraful Huq, the chief executive of the ACC said."Nimbus shares our passion for the Afro-Asia Cup. We have no doubt that together we can contribute significantly to the phenomenal growth enjoyed by our sport in Africa and Asia."

In a remarkable example of a corporate about-turn for a company which a year ago turned its back on the event, Nimbus chief executive Digvijay Singh said: "Our mutual passion for the sport of cricket and its global development has brought Nimbus and the ACC back together to build a stronger, brighter future for the Afro-Asia Cup. The event promises to be a spectacular occasion, with the best international players duelling for the right to be called the 'Champions of Two Continents'."

Whether the public show any more appetite for the tournament is another matter.