Credit: X
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley opened up about the possibility of hosting a tri-series between Australia, India and Pakistan. The development comes as a significant step with arch-rivals India and Pakistan not playing a bilateral series since the 2012–13 season, restricting their encounters to global ICC events.
The most recent between these cricketing giants came in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024 where the Men in Blue defeated Pakistan in a thrilling contest in the newly constructed Nassau County Ground in New York. Now these countries are slated to lock horns in next year's Champions Trophy.
CA express strong desire to host tri-series involving India and Pakistan
Addressing the possibility of hosting India and Pakistan, Hockley spoke about how Cricket Australia are open to stepping up as hosts for a bilateral or a tri-series. But the final decision will be with the respective boards of India and Pakistan. "Pakistan and India are traditional rival teams; there is a lot of excitement for their matches," Hockley said while responding to a query by the IANS in a selected media interaction.
"To the extent that we'd be able to facilitate or help in that, we'd be very open to do so. However, the final decision rests with the respective cricket boards of India and Pakistan. Given the schedules, we haven't had formal discussions in that regard, but we have said it on the record that we will be happy to host the India vs. Pakistan bilateral series," he continued.
Aiming to resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan: Hockley
Hockley also responded to questions regarding the Australian team not playing bilateral series against Afghanistan. He said, "We hope for progress and will continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board. They had a fantastic tournament with phenomenal players and played with great passion. Regarding our bilateral matches, we have consulted extensively with stakeholders, including the Australian government, and chose to postpone our last couple of series with Afghanistan on human rights grounds."
"We maintain a close relationship and regular dialogue with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and want to see cricket thrive worldwide for both men and women. We hope for progress and continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, aiming to resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan in the future," he said.
