Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley Eyes India-Pakistan White-Ball Series, Tri-Series with Australia

In a bid to revive one of cricket’s most iconic rivalries, Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley has expressed interest in bringing India and Pakistan together for a white-ball series. Despite their tense relations, the two Asian powerhouses have a massive following worldwide, and their matches are highly anticipated.

Hockley’s vision is to bridge the gap between the two nations on the cricket front, potentially hosting a tri-series involving Australia. The last time these three teams played a tri-series on Australian soil was over 25 years ago. While there have been no reports of the three boards coming together for this initiative, Hockley remains keen on CA taking the lead.

“Pakistan and India are traditional rival teams; there is a lot of excitement for their matches,” Hockley said. “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.”

The India-Pakistan contest is one of the most-watched and revenue-generating matches in cricket, with billions of fans worldwide invested in this blockbuster rivalry. Even in the recent T20 World Cup, their group stage match in New York garnered the most views and engagement.

However, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in over 12 years, with their last Test series taking place in 2008. While Pakistan has traveled to India for ICC tournaments, India last toured Pakistan in 2008. The situation has raised questions about the BCCI and Team India’s stance on playing in Pakistan, especially with the ICC granting Pakistan hosting rights for the Champions Trophy next year.

The BCCI is yet to respond to ICC’s draft schedule, which includes all India matches at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Reports suggest that India is in Group A alongside Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.