New Delhi: India captain Rohit Sharma has thrown his support behind any resumption of Test cricket against arch-rivals Pakistan, saying it would be “awesome”.
The South Asian neighbours are bitter political adversaries and have fought three wars against each other since they were partitioned at the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
Their cricket teams have not faced off in a Test since 2007.
Instead they play only occasionally in the shorter versions of the game and usually on neutral territory in international tournaments.
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,” added the 36-year-old.
“I would love to. It would be a great contest between two sides...so why not?”
There have been several attempts made by administrators from both boards to resume bilateral cricket, including playing overseas in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the UAE. In the recent years the England Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, too, have publicly voiced their interest in hosting the marquee series.
Rohit is the first major name in Indian cricket to publicly share his opinion on a topic that Indian cricket administrators have previously responded to by saying the call of resuming bilateral ties with Pakistan was subject to permission from Indian government.
“At the end of the day, we want to be in contest and I think it will be a great contest between the two sides. We anyway play them in ICC trophies, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s just pure cricket that I’m looking at. I’m not interested in anything else. It’s pure cricket, game between bat and ball. It’ll be a great contest.”
India and Pakistan have not faced each other on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012.
