Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed openness to the possibility of playing bilateral series with India if the Indian team visits Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year.
Naqvi’s comments came in response to a recent interview by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who praised the Pakistan cricket team and said it would be “awesome” to play the neighbors in a Test series overseas.
“If any options in this regard come, we will consider it, but our target right now is to host the Champions Trophy and first let India come for the tournament,” Naqvi said. “Right now, till the CT, there is no slot available as our team has a packed itinerary.”
“Once they come here first, then we can look at any proposal whenever it comes before us,” he added.
The two teams last played a bilateral limited-overs series in 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India. However, India has refused to play any Tests against Pakistan since 2007, when the two countries engaged in a rubber on Indian soil.
Last year, India declined to send its team for the Asia Cup matches in Pakistan, forcing the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to adopt a hybrid model for the event, with most matches being held in Sri Lanka.
Naqvi met with BCCI secretary Jay Shah during an ICC meeting in Dubai in February. The meeting was seen as a positive step towards improving relations between the two cricket boards.
If India does agree to play a bilateral series in Pakistan, it would be a significant development in the cricketing rivalry between the two nations. The series would likely attract a huge amount of attention and would be a major boost for Pakistan cricket.
