Pakistan opening batter Ahmed Shehzad proposed an unusual way to enable cricket matches between archrivals India and Pakistan amid political concerns.
Shehzad suggested building a stadium at the border so players may enter from their countries without crossing into each other’s territory on a podcast. “In a podcast, I proposed a border stadium. One gate would face India, the other Pakistan. Players would play from their gates “said Shehzad.
However, he acknowledged logistical and diplomatic issues.
Even then, BCCI and government would have troubles. Their players wouldn’t acquire visas to play with us “said.
Due to political difficulties, the two surrounding nations have only competed in ICC competitions.
They last played bilaterally in 2012-13.
On Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that hosts Pakistan and a neutral venue will host the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
India and Pakistan will play ICC matches at neutral locations during the 2024-2027 rights cycle to ensure logistical and security viability.
After Champions Trophy, the ‘fusion formula’ will apply to important ICC competitions including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).
If India and Pakistan qualify, the knockout stage matches, including the final, will be played at neutral venues.
