It’s been more than a decade since India and Pakistan played a bilateral series. Back in the 2000s, the cricketing rivalry between the Asian giants used to give immense pleasure to the fans as the teams used to visit each other’s country for multi-format series. But as the geo-political issues intensified, there was no scope left for India and Pakistan to host each other. As a result, the two sides only square off in ICC tournaments now.
Time and again, other cricketing nations have offered to host the arch-rivals but it has never been a success. Even Cricket Australia (CA) is ready to offer its venues only if the BCCI and PCB get on the same page, which, in reality, is a far-sighted matter.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO, is also aware of the fact that a bilateral series between India and Pakistan will purely be a decision taken by the respective boards but Cricket Australia would be ready to help in any way.
“Alongside the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, this [IND vs PAK] is the rivalry in world cricket that everyone wants to see. In terms of a bilateral series between the two countries, that’s a matter for their respective boards. However, we are open to facilitating or helping in any way,” Hockley said in an online press conference.
Indian fans going gaga over Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Team India will be travelling to Australia later this year for the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Hockley said CA is amazed to see the response from Indian fans after the match tickets went on sale.
“For next summer, it’s a very full schedule. We’ve announced the fixtures and tickets are on sale. We are amazed by the level of interest, particularly from fans in India. The number of tickets bought by Indian fans is six times higher than the highest previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. We expect incredible support for that series,” Hockley said.
Speaking again about the possibilities of an India vs Pakistan bilateral series in Australia, Hockley said, “Regarding a bilateral series between India and Pakistan, it’s up to their respective boards, and we haven’t raised it with them formally. We’re open to supporting it in any way we can.”
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