Yorkshire wants to host India-Pak Test

Yorkshire County has expressed its keenness to stage a Test between Pakistan and India at Headingley here if the two arch Asian rivals are to play a series at a neutral venue next year.

Pakistan have been forced to play home matches abroad because of security fears and there have been talks of them playing India at a neutral venue, most likely in England, next year.

"There's talk of Pakistan playing India next year, and we want to be at the forefront of the queue to host one of those games," Yorkshire's chief executive Stewart Regan said.

"With Pakistan unable to play in their own country at present due to security concerns, it's the sort of match we'd love to bring to Headingley Carnegie if Pakistan continue to use England as a neutral venue. That's one of the reasons this week's fixture is so important to us," he was quoted as saying by Yorkshire Post.

He said a successful hosting of the second Test between Pakistan and Australia here has become important in view of the club's desire for an Indo-Pak match.

"If we can make a success of Pakistan versus Australia and put on a really good show, it puts us in the shop window to host a potentially even bigger fixture further down the line," he added.

The idea Headingley could effectively become a home from home for Pakistan was one of the reasons Yorkshire opted to forego the Test between England and Bangladesh in favour of the neutral contest.

Yorkshire has one of the biggest Asian populations in the country and the club have made determined efforts in recent years to engage with the Asian community.