Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Club keen on hosting India-Pakistan Test series

Melbourne [Australia], December 29 (ANI): It has been a long time since archrivals India and Pakistan played a Test match. The two countries have not played in the game’s longest format since 2007 when bilateral cricket between the neighbours was suspended.

As per the ESPNcricinfo, following the success of the classic T20 World Cup 2022 match between India and Pakistan in October, the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government have made informal inquiries to Cricket Australia (CA) about hosting a Test match series between India and Pakistan in Melbourne. According to ESPNcricinfo, MCC chief executive Stuart Fox spoke on SEN radio on day 4 of the second Test between Australia and South Africa and said that the club, as well as the Victoria government, had made an inquiry with CA about hosting a neutral Test.
While the last Test match between India and Pakistan was played in 2007, the last international series in which the two teams participated was held in 2013.

Fox stated that the MCC would love to host the two countries in Test cricket after 90,293 fans packed into the MCG last month to watch the last-ball thriller in the prestigious T20 world cup.

“Absolutely. 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,” ESPNcicinfo quoted Fox as saying.

“Wouldn’t it be great that it wasn’t just Australia-centric and Victoria-centric, that we’re catering for 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 celebrating the game with full houses,” he further added.

Between 2023 and 2027, there are no bilateral cricket matches scheduled between India and Pakistan on the Future Tours Programme. Pakistan is scheduled to host Asia Cup next year and ODI World Cup will be held in India and there is no official word about travel plans of the two teams.