New Delhi [India], October 21 : Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to step in and organise a bilateral series between India and Pakistan on a neutral venue for the World Test Championship.
Pakistan and India haven't engaged in a bilateral series. The last such series was played from December 2012 to January 2013. Both Asian giants have only squared off at ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. Pakistan has travelled to India on three occasions since the 2008 Asia Cup.
Since the inception of the ICC World Test Championship, teams participating in the event have faced each other in bilateral series.
Basit expressed his desire to see both teams facing each other in a bilateral Test series in a neutral venue and asked the ICC to take a call on it.
"Pakistan and India haven't played a bilateral series since the World Test Championship began. The ICC should step in and do something. A venue should be chosen, like Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, where Pakistan and India should play a Test series. It could be Dubai or Abu Dhabi as well, and both teams should play a two or three-match Test series. I am talking as a sportsman," Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy next year.
According to sources, ICC is either looking to have the tournament go ahead in Pakistan as planned or it can take place in both Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a part of the hybrid model.
As per this hybrid model, matches for India and knockout stage games will take place in Dubai. The third option is the entire tournament, taking place outside Pakistan, with Dubai, Sri Lanka or South Africa as possible hosts.
Pakistan have not hosted any major International Cricket Council (ICC) event since the 1996 ODI World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.