Barring the glorious uncertainties of the game, India look the best equipped to win the ICC World Twenty20 when it hosts the tournament March 8.
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The two teams last met here at the same ground in the 2014 World Twenty20, which India won by seven wickets.
Plans for one-day worldwide and Twenty20 cricket are less advanced in terms of detail, although the ICC is keen to restructure both formats.
It has been confirmed that Pakistan will take part in the World T20 tournament in India after they received clearance from their government. Although India are likely to give most of their players a work-out in the build-up to the World T20, team director Ravi Shastri made clear they would not be taking their foot off the gas.
“BCCI will organise the World Cup in the nicest possible way and will provide every team with highest protection. We want a full “home” series so that we recoup our financial losses which we have faced over the years due to India not playing us”, Sethi told reporters. The two were also involved in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier in Thailand.
India-Pakistan showdowns usually draw hundreds of millions of television viewers, making it the biggest box office attraction in the sport.
Since 2009, Pakistan have played their “home” Test series in the UAE after a terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team led to a boycott on tours to the country. With the sheer volume of Twenty 20 (T20) cricket that India have played in recent times, it is MS Dhoni’s men who hold a slight edge of their arch-rivals.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is contemplating on coming up with a two-division Test cricket format in order to make the longest format more competitive. Add to that the supreme way India are playing right now and that, unlike Pakistan, they have already had a match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, and Dhoni’s men should be celebrating again on Saturday.
“Our government has also constantly shown this same spirit as is evident”.
“As genuine performers in the shorter form of the game, these players consistently deliver on the big stage”.
He said “we always want to play more and more against each other (Pakistan and India)”.
But the other factor in an India-Pakistan match which differentiates it from a conventional cricketing clash is the accompanying off-field pressure.
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“We ourselves are being understood on facilitating global groups and not pushing anybody as our Prime Minister needs us to be careful”.
