Melbourne Cricket Club looks into hosting Test match between Pakistan and India

• Melbourne could host a Test series between Pakistan and India.
• Bilateral cricket between the neighbours has been suspended since 2007.
• Last time they met at T20 World Cup 2022 where 90,000 fans packed MCG.

As bilateral cricket between the neighbours has been stopped since 2007, Pakistan and India have not faced off against each other in the game’s longest format. The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is now investigating the potential of staging a Test match between the two nations.

Since hosting Pakistan in a limited-overs series in 2013, India and Pakistan have only faced off in competition in the 20- and 50-overs World Cups and the Asia Cup.

The two last crossed paths at the Twenty20 World Cup in October, where over 90,000 spectators packed the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch India triumph in a nail-biting final ball contest.

A packed MCG for #INDvPAK 🇮🇳 🇵🇰#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Px39oqOcBE

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 23, 2022

The atmosphere at that game, according to MCC Chief Executive Stuart Fox, shown that it would not be difficult to fill the arena for a test series between the two.

“The atmosphere for that game, I’ve never felt anything like it,” Fox told radio station SEN. “The noise after every ball was phenomenal. Three (tests) in a row would be lovely at the MCG, you’d fill it every time.

“We’ve taken that up with Cricket Australia. I know the (Victoria) government has as well. It’s enormously complicated from what I can understand, amongst a really busy schedule. So I think that’s probably the greater challenge.”

Fox expressed his hope that Cricket Australia would continue to advocate for the plan with the International Cricket Council, which oversees the sport internationally.

“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,” Fox added.

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