Africa Cup set to be launched as a tri-series with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia

African cricket administrators are planning a new T20 tournament for regional nations involving South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. According to reports, the tri-series was discussed during the ICC Africa Regional Conference in Namibia, with officials aiming to commercialize the sport across the region.

The plan also includes a competitive six-team Africa Cup. Full Members South Africa and Zimbabwe will feature alongside Namibia, who are currently ranked 15th in T20Is. The remaining three teams will qualify through regional tournaments, creating a competition across the African cricket landscape.

Africa Cup To Kick Off With Tri-Series Format

According to Cricket Financial Journal, African administrators initially considered a ten-team competition before deciding that six teams would be the ideal format. The first expanded Africa Cup will not take place this year. Cricket authorities instead plan to organize a tri-series as a soft launch.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will host the tri-series in August. These three nations will also co-host the upcoming ODI World Cup. Officials hope the tri-series will later develop into a regular tournament, building a strong base before introducing the six-team competition.

Most matches will be played in Namibia, using their growing cricket infrastructure. Providing regular high-level matches for Namibia is important ahead of their ODI World Cup co-hosting role. The tournament will also give players valuable experience against teams like South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Africa Cup Relies On Full Members For Financial Success

The participation of Full Members is key to the financial success of the Africa Cup. Officials have struggled to build a major continental T20 event. Regular involvement from South Africa and Zimbabwe can help secure strong broadcast deals and sponsorships needed to sustain the tournament.

A previous T20 Africa Cup held between 2022 and 2024 included only Associate nations and faced sponsorship issues. African officials now aim to replicate the success of the Asia Cup, which features top teams and attracts strong viewership.

Associate teams like Oman and the UAE have benefited from playing stronger sides in the Asia Cup. African administrators want similar exposure for teams like Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to help grow the sport in the region.

Cramped Cricket Calendar Delays Inter-Continental Plans

The push to build a stable continental tournament comes after plans to revive the Afro-Asia Cup stalled. The event earlier featured Indian and Pakistani players combining to face an African XI. However, a busy international calendar now makes scheduling such events difficult.

Finding space in the Future Tours Programme is a major challenge for top teams like India. As a result, African officials have shifted focus to building their own tournament, allowing better control over scheduling without depending on other boards.

Despite these challenges, the proposed six-team Africa Cup is a big step for regional cricket. The African Cricket Association is working with the ICC to finalize tri-series dates, with matches between South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia expected in August.

Also read: Sri Lanka Cricket denies claims of 19 players failing fitness tests; Issues official clarification