IND vs PAK Test – IND PAK Bilateral Cricket: The Melbourne Cricket Club, which manages the MCG, and the Victorian government have made tentative approaches to Cricket Australia about staging a Test series between India and Pakistan in Melbourne. This comes following the success of the memorable T20 World Cup 2022 match between India and Pakistan played in October. But given the animosity between Pakistan and India, it is very unlikely that BCCI and PCB will agree to this proposed bilateral Test series. Follow InsideSport.IN for LIVE updates about India vs Pakistan Test
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IND vs PAK Test: MCC & Victorian Government offers to host India vs Pakistan TEST Series, BCCI & PCB ‘unlikely to oblige’: Check DETAILS
On the fourth day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa, MCC CEO Stuart Fox disclosed during a conversation on SEN radio that the club and the Victoria government had contacted CA about hosting a neutral Test.
Since 2013, India and Pakistan haven’t faced off in a bilateral international cricket match outside of the World Cups and the Asia Cup. Neither team has faced off in a Test match since 2007.
Fox, though, stated that the MCC would be thrilled to host the two nations for a Test match after 90,293 spectators crammed into the MCG to watch the T20 World Cup’s thrilling last-ball match in October.
“Absolutely. Three [Tests] in a row would be lovely at the MCG. You’d fill it every time. We have asked,” Fox said. “We’ve taken that up with Cricket Australia. I know the [Victoria] government has as well. Again, it’s enormously complicated from what I can understand, amongst a really busy schedule. So I think that’s probably the greater challenge.”
“Wouldn’t it be great that it wasn’t just Australia-centric and Victoria-centric, that we’re catering for all the countries and filling the stadium all the time. So we have asked.”
“Hopefully, Cricket Australia keep taking it up with the ICC and keep pushing for it. When you do see some of the stadiums around the world unoccupied, I think it would be much better to have a full house and that atmosphere and celebrating the game with full houses.”
BCCI and PCB unlikely to oblige
The Future Tours Program presently does not have any bilateral cricket matches between India and Pakistan scheduled between 2023 and 2027. There are still issues over the two teams visiting each other’s countries for the 2023 Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.
A CA representative told ESPNcricinfo that the BCCI and PCB alone would decide whether to hold a neutral Test or Test series between India and Pakistan. But added that CA would be interested in hosting a neutral game at a location in Australia if the two boards ever came to an understanding.
“It would be up to the two countries to agree,” the spokesperson said. “But if there was to be a Test between India and Pakistan on neutral territory, we would of course be interested in the opportunity to host it in Australia. The supporters of the two teams here for the World Cup were amazing and the vast majority of those fans live in Australia.”
Given the current political climate in both countries, it is very unlikely that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will agree to any bilateral cricket no matter in what part of the world.
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