In the sport of cricket, there is no bigger rivalry than India-Pakistan. The fact that this competition is not just confined to the sport makes it all the more brutal. Whenever these two sides play, the buzz reaches an unforeseen level which also contributes by generating additional revenue. It is due to all these reasons that former cricketers namely Wasim Akram and Ravi Shastri have expressed a desire to see these two fierce rivals play a Test match against one another.
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Having last played a Test in 2007, India and Pakistan have only faced each other in white-ball multi-team tournaments in the last decade. While fans, players and former players want the two cricketing boards to resume bilateral ties now, sour geopolitical relations between the two nations hamper the progress in the matter.
Wasim Akram And Ravi Shastri Green-Light India-Pakistan MCG Test
For those who don’t know, a memorable India-Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup 2022 clash was played in front of a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground amounting to around 90,000 spectators. With both the teams set to face each other in Asia Cup 2023 tomorrow, Akram and Shastri want them to also proceed with red-ball ties.
As quoted by Fox Cricket, Akram, who has plentiful bowling records to his name, regrets not playing enough Test cricket against India. Hence, he wants the current lot of players to not experience the same. Readers must note that India and Pakistan didn’t play a single Test for a decade between 1989-1999. Although he believes Pakistan to be an ideal venue, Akram wouldn’t mind an India-Pakistan Test in Melbourne reckoning the MCG as the “best neutral venue”.
“Pakistan would also be an ideal venue if India wants, but if India wants a neutral venue, then I think Australia would be an ideal place.”
“It’s the whole thing with the MCG. The sheer magnitude of the ground, the spectators, the security, the place itself brings a lot of confidence in you as a player if you play at the G.”
Shastri, on the other hand, laid emphasis on both teams hosting each other in bilateral series. According to him, MCG should only be an option if there is no other choice left. Shastri, who hoped for an India-Pakistan ICC World Test Championship final at the historic venue, will have to wait for another WTC cycle as the final of the ongoing one will be played at the Lord’s.
“The fact of the matter is if India and Pakistan play again bilaterally they will play it at home. Let’s make that clear.”
“The MCG would be an option if there was no solution and the boards agreed to it. If the MCG ever hosted the World Test Championship and India and Pakistan were in it would just happen and what an occasion that would be … let’s hope it does happen.”
Wasim Akram And Ravi Shastri Had Last Played Against Each Other In 1991
A year before he last played for India, both Shastri and Akram had faced each other in Wills Trophy 1991 final in Sharjah. Pakistan had won that match by 72 runs where Akram bowled an economical spell of 10-3-21-0. Shastri, who opened the batting for India, scored 15 (34) after registering bowling figures of 8-0-39-0 in the first innings.
Akram and Shastri played 21 ODIs and nine Tests against each other between 1985-1991. Despite not playing each other for over three decades, they share an adorable bond with their show named ‘Shaz and Waz’ being a fan-favourite till date.
With such high-profile names voicing concerns around the lack of bilateral cricket between two top teams, we might well be witness to a Test between the two arch-rivals in the years to come. When all’s said and done, resumption of this rivalry is necessary because it would be quite a shame for great players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, etc. to hang their boots without playing a single India-Pakistan Test match.
