BCCI Secretary Jay Shah keen to revive Afro-Asian Cricket Project

The Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, wants to develop the game of cricket in the continent of Africa. Shah wants to revive the Afro-Asian Project which was first started in the year 2005, but was closed four years later.

Shah said that he wants to work towards the development of the game, by taking it to new places, with Africa being one of them. There is no doubt that Asia is the hub of cricket and India is a place where cricket is a religion, and the sport has a billion fans in the country. Same is the case with Pakistan and Bangladesh, as these are also two cricket-mad nations. Bangladesh, too, is a place where cricket is hugely popular and is the numero uno sport. Cricket also enjoys a good following in the island nation of Sri Lanka. As a result, Shah wants to leverage on the massive popularity that cricket enjoys in the continent of Asia. The BCCI Secretary wants to make cricket a global sport, and open up as many avenues for the sport as possible, according to a report in The Times of India.

The African Cricket Association (AFC) countries have 570 million cricket fans

A massive number of 570 million people follow the sport of cricket in the African Cricket Association (AFC) countries. Shah, who also happens to be the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), wants to undertake this project that will help both parties – the African Cricket Association as well as the Asian Cricket Council. The model for this project is one that is financially feasible and is also one that is sustainable. This plan is mainly undertaken to strengthen the sport of cricket at the grassroots and help cricketers involved in the U-16, U-19 as well as the U-23 levels of the game. Coaches will train these players so that their skills can be nurtured and honed.