New Zealand could emerge as a much sought-after venue to host neutral Test matches, reckons Heath Mills, the chief executive of the players’ association, as the country declared itself free from the Coronavirus after tackling the pandemic in an exemplary way. 

The nation on Sunday (June 7) lifted most of the restrictions imposed due to the outbreak after no active cases were reported.

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"I could see New Zealand operating as a neutral venue. That’s a definite possibility," Mills was quoted as saying by ‘I Newspaper’.

"I know New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have been in contact with the ECB and others about the potential for that to happen this summer."

Playing games in neutral venues is not at all a new concept. Historically, teams have played limited-overs matches and even Tests in a third country. Albeit over unfortunate security concerns, Pakistan, for example, played its home Tests for a decade in UAE until last year. 

In April, Tom Harrison, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive, had confirmed that the board has received offers to host England's games from its counterparts in New Zealand and Australia. 

Miller expects NZC to further push for becoming a neutral host, given the pandemic is over there and the fact that these matches will also boost the board's financial coffers. 

International cricket is set to resume in July via the England-West Indies Test series in a bio-secure bubble. Question marks have been raised, however, over the feasibility of such a bubble and whether that can be replicated all over the world. 

(Inputs from PTI)