The Melbourne Cricket Club has enquired about a historic Test match between India and Pakistan. Cricket Australia has supported the MCC in what would be India and Pakistan's first Test match meeting for 15 years.
The situation is unique and described as โcomplicatedโ with the two sides unable to play one another due to ongoing political tensions between the nations.
The last Test match between them was played in December of 2007.
In recent history at the T20 World Cup the MCG hosted both sides in front of over 90,000 fans which has fuelled ambitions for the sides to play in Test matches once again.
MCC boss Stuart Fox has showed his support for the fixture after the immense support and success in their previous MCG meeting.
โThe atmosphere for that game, I've never felt anything like it,โ Fox told SEN.
โThe noise after every ball was just phenomenal.โ
โThree (games) in a row would be lovely at the MCG, you'd fill it evert time."
โWouldn't it be great if it wasn't just Australia-centric and Victoria-centric, and that we're catering for all countries and filling the stadium.โ
โ(However), it's complicated.โ
โHopefully Cricket Australia keep taking it up with the ICC and keep pushing for it.โ
Cricket Australia is also in agreement provided that both nations agreed to it.
โIt would be up to the two countries to agree, but if there was to be a Test between India and Pakistan on neutral territory, we would of course be interested in the opportunity to host it in Australia,โ a Cricket Australia spokesperson told AAP.
โThe supporters of the two teams here for the World Cup were amazing and the vast majority of those fans live in Australia.โ
Pakistan will be part of next year's Boxing Day Test with Fox saying Australia needed better engagement with multicultural fans.
โI'd love to shoot for 91,000 (fans in the stadium next December),โ Fox said.
โWe want them (Pakistan fans) here and it would be fantastic to have a full house day one.โ
The MCG T20 World Cup games clearly indicates the number of Indian and Pakistani fans who are keen to attend games.
Fox and Cricket Australia are both correct in understanding the fanbases of both nations with many living in Australia. The last figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicated over 710,000 people who live in Australia were born in India, with over 95,000 born in Pakistan.
