What’s the story?
The Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham is ready to host bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan. Insisting that the upcoming contest between the arch-rivals in the Champions Trophy could have been ‘sold out six times over’, Warwickshire chief executive Neil Snowball has expressed interest in the stadium becoming a neutral venue for the Asian giants to play their bilateral matches.
“We have the experience of handling it. It is not the sort of game you can take anywhere because it is a completely unique match with a completely unique collection of fans and atmosphere. If they wanted this game at a neutral venue, I would hope they would consider Edgbaston - we would be very interested in looking at that,” Snowball told BBC Sport.
The Background
The previous bilateral series between India and Pakistan came in the 2012/13 season when the latter visited Indian shores for two T20Is and three ODIs. The last time both teams played a Test match against each other was back in 2007.
The heart of the matter
Due to prevailing tension in the Line of Control (LoC), India and Pakistan have abstained from resuming bilateral cricket ties during the last few years. Even though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are keen on both teams playing against each other, their Indian counterparts have not obtained the required permission from the central government to participate in matches outside of the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments.
Extra Cover: BCCI and PCB discuss alternate venues for India-Pakistan matches
With the arch-rivals squaring off against each other in a Group B game in the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston, the atmosphere in Birmingham is expected to be electric. The game is understood to bring in a whopping £5m to the city’s economy and the organisers are using it as a platform to bolster their bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
What’s next?
All eyes will be tuned towards Edgbaston on Sunday for what should be a high-voltage clash between Virat Kohli’s team and Sarfraz Ahmed’s side. However, ahead of the big game, the weather forecast has not painted a pretty picture as showers are predicted in the morning as well as the afternoon.
Author’s Take
Considering the multicultural atmosphere in Birmingham, Edgbaston is the perfect venue to host bilateral matches involving India and Pakistan. The stands will invariably be full for all three formats of the game with the typically fast-paced pitch offering a breathtaking contest between bat and ball. Hopefully, common sense prevails and passionate cricket fans across the globe get to witness regular fixtures between the Asian giants.
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