18 April,2024 05:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Sharma (Pic: File Pic)
Indian captain Rohit Sharma said that playing Tests with Pakistan on a neutral ground would be a great contest. Since 2008 Mumbai attack, both teams have not played a bilateral series. They only face against each other in the ICC events.
The last time both teams clash was during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023."I totally believe that they are a good team, superb bowling line-up, good contest, if we play overseas. The last Test was played way back in 2007-08," Rohit said on 'Club Prairie Fire', a Youtube show hosted by former Australian keeper-batter Adam Gilchrist and former England skipper Michael Vaughan.
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"Yeah, I would love to (play against Pakistan), it would be a great contest between two sides. We play them in ICC trophies, pure cricket I am looking at, great contest, so why not?" he said when asked whether Indo-Pak Tests are possible at a neutral venue like England or Australia.
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Shaheen Shah Afridi leads Pakistan's pace bowling lineup which also includes the likes of Naseem Shah and Aamer Jamal.
The BCCI has maintained that any decision on bilateral cricket with Pakistan will hinge on approval from the government, which has so far not permitted cricketing engagement with the arch-foes.
Pakistan, on the other hand, has been aggressively pushing for bilateral engagement with India, even taking it up at ICC forums at every available opportunity.
Last year, during the Asia Cup, all of India's games scheduled in Pakistan were relocated to Sri Lanka
The next year's Champions Trophy will be another bone of contention between the two countries as the tournament is set to be held in Pakistan, which has declared that it won't agree to any change of venue to accommodate India.
The ICC, on its part, has stated that it won't force any member nation to disregard government advisory.
"...ICC Board's position remains that it doesn't expect its members to go against any policy/instructions issued by its own government," an ICC official had stated recently.
(With PTI Inputs)
