"We'd love to..”- Cricket Australia CEO eager to host India vs Pakistan bilateral series in Australia

India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India.

Cricket Australia (CA) has expressed a desire to host a bilateral series between arch-rivals India and Pakistan if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agree to face-off in a bilateral contest in the future.

The Indian and Pakistan cricket teams will visit Australia later this year for their respective series. India will go to Perth for a five-match Test series beginning on November 22, while Pakistan will play a three-match ODI and T20I series against the Men in Yellow.

India and Pakstan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 and since then, the two teams have faced off in the Asia Cup and ICC competitions. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been at their lowest with Pakistan suspending trade with India. India, on the other hand, after the Pulwama attack, has stopped entertaining anything related to Pakistan.

“We’d love to play a role”- Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley on whether Australia would host a bilateral series between India and Pakistan

India and Pakistan last clashed in the ICC World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad with the Men in Blue coming out victors in a one-sided contest.

However, a much more entertaining contest was played at the MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup, when 90,293 fans witnessed a last-ball thriller that saw Virat Kohli play an iconic knock of 82* to win the game for India from an impossible situation.

Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley opined that they would be happy to host the bilateral series between India and Pakistan at the iconic MCG if they get an opportunity.

“I think anyone that was here for the India-Pakistan game at the MCG, it will go down as one of the most memorable occasions, not just sporting occasions, that I’ve ever been to. So, people want to see that contest. We would love to host that if the opportunity arose. If we can play a role, we’d love to play a role,” Hockley was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“We’re so excited to host Pakistan. We’re so excited to host India. If we can help, that’s great. But, I think in many ways, that’s a bilateral series. It’s really for others to make that happen,” the CA CEO added.

CA’s Head of Scheduling, Peter Roach, admitted on Tuesday that Australia would prefer to host a tri-series, which last occurred between Australia, India and Pakistan during the 1999-2000 season, rather than a neutral bilateral series But, he noted that there was not enough space in the current Future Tours Programme (FTP).

“We haven’t got a tri-series in the FTP. Going forward we’re always interested in opportunities for matches and contests that will engage our fans. It’s fair to say every country in the world would love to see India and Pakistan compete in their country,” Roach asserted.

“We’re on record as saying we’re one of those countries that has asked the question. There’s no room in the schedules to do that at the moment. We’ll keep talking to them in any other opportunities that arise, but in this specific example there are not going to be any changes to the schedule,” he concluded.

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