Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, has ignited the hopes of cricket fans worldwide by expressing his desire to see India and Pakistan resume Test cricket matches. In a recent interview with Wisden, Masood highlighted the immense popularity a potential India–Pakistan Test series could garner.
“If we have a Test match in Pakistan or in India, even the Ahmedabad ground, or we play in Pakistan or in a neutral venue, I reckon an India v Pakistan match could sell out any venue in the world. It’d be great,” he said.
India and Pakistan have not played a Test series since 2007/08, and political tensions have seen a complete halt to bilateral cricket between the two nations in any format since 2012/13. Masood’s comments reignite the long-standing desire among fans and players alike to see this historic cricketing rivalry return to the Test arena.
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Masood went on to emphasize the cricketing merit of such a series, stating, “You want to play the best teams in the world and India is certainly one of the best, especially when it comes to Test cricket. We just saw a very exciting India versus England series. I would love for that (India v Pakistan) to happen. It’d be a great honor to lead Pakistan against India.”
World Test Championship: The only way India and Pakistan could meet for a Test
Masood’s comments sparked a frenzy among cricket enthusiasts. However, the current cricketing landscape presents a unique challenge – the World Test Championship (WTC) remains the only avenue for these arch-rivals to meet in the traditional format.
The WTC, a two-year tournament featuring the top ten Test nations, includes India and Pakistan. If both teams qualify for the final, scheduled for June 2025, it would be the stage for this historic encounter.
Having said that, the chances of a final between India and Pakistan at the WTC 2025 looks bleak. While India are currently at the top of the WTC 2023-25 points table cycle with 68.51 points percentage, Pakistan are at fourth with only 36.66.
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