Cricket Australia has yet again expressed interest in hosting an India-Pakistan Test series if the two Asian neighbours agree to play against each other in future at a neutral venue. (More Cricket News | Full IPL coverage)
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 due to the diplomatic tension between the two nations. They lock horns only at the ICC or continental events.
Both In🐟dia and Pakistan are scheduled to tour Australia in Nov🎃ember this year.
Pakistan will play three ODIs and T20Is before India's five-Test series against the hosts.
The Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government had expressed interest in hosting the two teams in bilateral ma𓂃tches at the MCG after close to one lakh people thronged the iconic stadium to🎀 watch India and Pakistan clash during the 2022 T20 World Cup.
"I think anyone that was here for the India-Pakistan game at the MCG, it wﷺill go down as one♋ of the most memorable occasions, not just sporting occasions, that I've ever been to," CA chief executive Nick Hockley said according to ESPNCricinfo.
"So people want to see that contest. We wou🉐ld love to host that if the opportunity arose. If we can pla🌊y a role, we'd love to play a role.
"We're so excited to host Pakistan. We're so excited to h🗹ost India. If we can help, that's gಌreat. But I think in many ways, that's a bilateral series. It's really for others to make that happen."
CA's head of scheduling Peter Roach acknowledged said they are not averse to idea of hosting on tri-series ODI, involving India and Pakistan, like it happened back in 1999-2000 season, though he admitted that it will be difficult to💃 squeeze in a series in an already choc-a-bloc calender.
"We haven'𝓡t got a tri-series in the FTP. Going forward, we're always interested in opportunities for matches and contests that will engage our fans. It's fair to say every country in the world would love to see India and Pakistan compete in their country.
"We're on record as saying🔯 we're one of those countries that has asked the question. There's no room in the schedules to do that at the moment. We'l🦋l keep talking to them in any other opportunities that arise, but in this specific example there are not going to be any changes to the schedule."
