The cricket world has been deprived of the fierce rivalry between India and Pakistan because of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
India haven't played Pakistan in bilateral cricket since a home limited-overs series in 2012, with their last meeting in Tests dating back to 2007. In this period, they've only clashed in multi-nation tournaments such as the World Cup and the Asia Cup.
Considering the political relationship between the two countries, an India versus Pakistan bilateral series does not look anywhere close to the horizon.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) has reaffirmed its desire to host India and Pakistan in a bilateral series if the two countries are willing to revive their cricketing relationship beyond the multi-nation ACC and ICC events.
After the successful T20 World Cup 2022 match between India and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where 90,293 attended the marquee fixture, the CA, along with the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government, had said that they were keen to host bilateral matches between the arch-rivals at the venue.
After announcing the calendar for the home summer on Tuesday (March 26), CA chief executive Nick Hockley said, as per ESPNCricinfo, "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."
"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.
Moreover, CA’s head of scheduling Peter Roach said that there was a lot of interest in organizing a tri-series involving India and Pakistan, which took place way back in the 1999-2000 season.
"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.
"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."
