ICC assured of India-Pakistan Test series in 2021-23 cycle, claims PCB chief Ehsan Mani
India and Pakistan are currently participating in the Asia Cup but haven't been playing bilateral cricket for the last few years.
Newly appointed chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani has said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) assured him of a Test series between India and Pakistan in its 2021-23 cycle of World Test Championship. India and Pakistan haven’t played a Test series since 2007-08 when Pakistan toured India while their last bilateral ODI series was also played last time in 2012-13 when the neighbours travelled to India.
India-Pakistan cricket has stormed the headlines after some time, thanks to the ongoing Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The two arch-rivals have met each other twice in the tournament within four days and on both occasions, the Men in Blue have dominated their opponents. On Sunday, India completed a clinical 9-wicket victory over Pakistan in a Super Four game, following their 8 wicket victory in a group on September 19.
No mention of India-Pakistan game in ICC’s initial draft of Test championship
The ICC has announced starting the World Test Championship in 2019 and the event is scheduled to be played over a period of four years with each Test-playing nation taking on the other. Though, the initial draft of the championship doesn’t include a game between the two Asian powerhouses.
India and Pakistan have played 58 Test matches against each other since 1952 with the former winning nine against the latter’s 12. Thirty-eight matches have been drawn. The last series the two teams played in 2007-08 was won by India by a 1-0 margin.
“The Test championship is apparently in two cycles. For the 2019-21 cycle, they have already made their calendar. But I’ve been assured by the ICC that in the second cycle from 2021-23, Pakistan and India will play against each other,” Times of India quoted Mani as saying in Dubai on Sunday.
Even though India and Pakistan are playing each other in the Asia Cup, the political relationship between the two countries is witnessing one of its worst phases after the planned meeting between the foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations Generally Assembly was called off by India. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was disappointed with the development and reacted strongly against the Indian government, turning the environment duller.
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