Cricket Australia keen to host India vs Pakistan bilateral series

Cricket Australia (CA) has once again said that they are willing to host a bilateral series between India and Pakistan if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) do agree on playing in the future.

As per the schedule released by CA, both India and Pakistan will be Down Under in November this year. While Pakistan will play three ODIs and T20Is, India will take on the hosts in a five-match Test series, beginning four days later on 22 November.

Owing to the tense political relationship between India and Pakistan, the last bilateral series between them took place in 2012-13, with fixtures between the two neighbouring countries now limited to global ICC events.

After the successful 2022 T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where 90,293 spectators packed the ground, the CA, along with the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government, said that they were keen to host bilateral matches between the arch-rivals at the venue.

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After announcing the calendar for the rest of the year, CA chief executive Nick Hockley said, as per ESPNCricinfo, "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."

"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,” he added.

Apart from this statement, CA's head of scheduling Peter Roach said that there was a lot of interest in hosting a tri-series involving India and Pakistan - this took place back in the 1999-2000 season, rather than just a neutral bilateral series.

"We haven't got a tri-series in the FTP," Roach said. "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,” he explained.

Roach added that in the current shape, there is not enough space to accommodate arrangements like a tri-series. Cricket Australia was keen to keep the talks going regarding any future opportunities that may arise.