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Exclusive: ECB offer to host India and Pakistan Test series in England

Rohit Sharma (left) and Khushdil Shah - ECB offer to host India and Pakistan Test series in England - AP
Rohit Sharma (left) and Khushdil Shah - ECB offer to host India and Pakistan Test series in England - AP

England have offered to be a neutral host for future Pakistan-India Test series opening the possibility of the two countries playing bilateral cricket for the first time in more than 15 years.

Martin Darlow, the deputy chairman of the England & Wales Cricket Board, has held talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board during the current Twenty20 series and offered England’s grounds as venues for ideally a three match Test series in the future.

The matches would attract big crowds in the UK, which has a large ex-pat south Asian population.

It would also be more politically acceptable for India to play Pakistan on neutral turf. The two countries play each other regularly in ICC World Cup events and last month in the Asia Cup as well. The matches attract huge sponsorship revenue and television audiences. When India played Pakistan in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup, the television audience was calculated to be 495 million.

But there has been a hardening under the Narendra Modi government in India towards Pakistan and for political reasons the two countries have not played bilateral Test cricket since Pakistan toured India in 2007. Pakistan players are also barred from playing in the IPL, a scenario that could spread if IPL owners buy teams in other leagues. For example, no Pakistan players are playing in the South Africa T20 league in February where all the teams have India owners, raising questions about the influence of private investment in national leagues.

It is understood the PCB are not keen on playing India at the moment at a neutral venue but are grateful for the ECB's offer, which shows the growing relationship between the two boards. Pakistan have only recently persuaded teams to tour their own country after a decade long absence. To play India in England would be a retrograde step in their eyes but that could change if it becomes the only practical way of making the matches happen and bring in vital funds to Pakistan cricket.

It will probably take a change of government and political mood in India for any bilateral Test series to take place regardless of whether the two boards in Pakistan and India want the matches to happen. Despite the situation between national governments, the two boards do have a good relationship but not playing India has a big financial ramification for Pakistan cricket. England and Australia make more money from playing India than from Ashes series, highlighting how much Pakistan is missing out.

England has been a base for Pakistan before. They played two Tests against Australia at Lord’s and Headingley in 2010 but the series was not a commercial success. Yorkshire gave up an England Test against Bangladesh to host Pakistan-Australia but ticket sales were disappointing and they made a loss.

It would be different with India, selling tickets would be easier especially if matches are held in London and Birmingham. Edgbaston would be a favourite to land one of the matches if they were to happen.