India-Pakistan Test Match at the MCG? MCC and Victoria government inquire about hosting India-Pakistan Test: It has been a long time since arch-rivals India and Pakistan have staged a Test match. Since bilateral cricket between the neighbors was suspended in 2007, the two nations have not played in the game’s longest format. However, the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is investigating the likelihood of staging a Test match between the two countries.
The last bilateral limited-overs series between India and Pakistan took place in 2013. (2 T20Is and 3 ODIs). Since then, they have been competing against each other at neutral sites in ICC events and Asia Cup tournaments. The most recent encounter between India and Pakistan was at the T20 World Cup 2022 in October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. More than 90.000 spectators packed the stadium to watch the most awaited match.
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Following the success of the classic T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan in October, the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government have made informal inquiries to Cricket Australia about hosting a Test match between India and Pakistan in Melbourne.
On the fourth day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa, MCC chief executive Stuart Fox stated on SEN radio that the club, along with the Victoria government, had made an inquiry to CA about hosting a neutral Test.
Fox said, “I’ve never seen anything like it at the MCG, that India-Pakistan game (Ind vs Pak in T20 World Cup 2022) was something else. The atmosphere, I’ve never felt it like that. The noise after every ball was just phenomenal and the families and children and everyone enjoyed it.”
“Three [Tests] in a row would be lovely at the MCG. You’d fill it every time. We have asked. 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,” Stuart Fox added.
“Wouldn’t it be great that it wasn’t just Australia-centric and Victoria-centric, that we’re catering to 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 celebrate the game with full houses,” MCC Chief Executive said.
On the Future Tours Program between 2023 and 2027, there are no bilateral cricket matches scheduled between India and Pakistan. There are still issues over the two teams visiting each other’s lands for the 2023 Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023.
However, at the end of the day, the BCCI and the PCB will end up deciding whether to hold a neutral Test or Test series between India and Pakistan. But nevertheless, a CA spokesperson stated that if the two boards were ever able to come to an agreement, CA would be interested in hosting a neutral game at a location in Australia.
READ: ‘India ko hazam nahi hua PAK aage kaise nikal gaya’, Ramiz Raja’s remark after being sacked.
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