India vs Pakistan Test match at the MCG? Cricket Australia shows interest

There are still tensions between the two nations when it comes to traveling to their respective countries for Asia Cup 2023 and ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

India vs Pakistan Test match at the MCG? Cricket Australia shows interest

India vs Pakistan

The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) and the Victorian government made inquiries to Cricket Australia (CA) to host a Test match between India and Pakistan. Amidst all the tension between the two nation’s boards, a CA spokesperson confirmed that the decision on playing the two neighbors is solely in the hands of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). If the two boards agree, then CA can show interest in hosting the match.

MCC chief executive Stuart Fox spoke on SEN radio on Day four of the second Test between Australia and South Africa. He said MCC and the Victoria government had made an inquiry to CA. He also said MCC would love to host the Test match as they have already witnessed the craze when the two neighbors clashed in the last-ball thriller of the T20 World Cup 2022 in November at the MCG. The tickets were sold in minutes and a total of 90,293 fans stormed into the stadium to watch the classic rivalry.

“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.”

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CA confirms that the decision of hosting Test remains in the hands of BCCI and PCB

Test
India vs Pakistan

There are still tensions between the two nations when it comes to traveling to their respective countries for Asia Cup 2023 (slated to take place in Pakistan) and ICC ODI World Cup 2023 (India will host). The two nations haven’t locked horns in a Test match since 2007 and haven’t even played against each other in bilateral series. They only clash in the World Cups and the Asia Cups since 2013.

A CA spokesperson confirmed that they’ll show interest in hosting the two countries. But BCCI and PCB have to decide if they’ll allow the same.

“It would be up to the two countries to agree,” the spokesperson confirmed to ESPNCricinfo. “But if there was to be a Test between India and Pakistan on neutral territory, we would be of course 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.”

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