'Once they come here first': PCB chairman reacts to Rohit Sharma's take on India-Pakistan Tests

Rohit had said that a series between India and Pakistan would be good for Test cricket.

Pakistan would consider any proposal for a Test series against India if the latter send a team to the country for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the board’s current target is to host the Champions Trophy successfully next year and they have a packed schedule until then.

Naqvi was responding to comments by India captain Rohit Sharma who recently stated that the two teams playing a Test series would be beneficial for the format and that he would like to face Pakistan’s bowlers in red-ball cricket. “Look, if any options in this regard come we will consider it, but our target right now is to host the Champions Trophy and first let India come for the tournament,” Naqvi told reporters. “Right now till the CT there is no slot available as our team has a packed itinerary.” “Once they come here first then we can look at any proposal whenever it comes before us,” he added.

India had refused to send a team to Pakistan last year for the Asia Cup. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) eventually adopted a hybrid model for the event with all of India’s games and a vast majority of matches overall ending up being played in Sri Lanka. Naqvi had met with BCCI secretary Jay Shah during an ICC meeting in Dubai in February.

‘…that will be awesome’: Rohit Sharma

Rohit appeared Thursday on a YouTube chat show hosted by former captains Adam Gilchrist of Australia and Michael Vaughan of England. Asked by Vaughan if playing Pakistan in a Test series would be beneficial for the five-day game, Rohit said: “I totally believe that. They are a good team, superb bowling line-up, good contest. Especially if you play in overseas conditions, that will be awesome,” said the 36-year-old. “I would love to. It would be a great contest between two sides… so why not?” Australia has said it would be prepared to host a series between the rivals.

India and Pakistan have not faced each other on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012. The two sides haven’t faced each other in a Test series since Pakistan’s three-match tour of India in 2007/08. India had won that series 1-0. This also means that some of the seniormost players in the two sides such as Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom are in their mid-30s or late-30s, have never faced Pakistan in a Test match.

Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com