India-Australia needs to be scrapped and replaced with Ashes and India-Pakistan, suggests Brad Hogg

Brad Hogg, like Aakash Chopra, has become quite the popular figure off the field post his retirement, focusing on commentary and expert analysis, and of late, the Australian has been throwing out innovative ideas in his YouTube channel in a bid to breathe life into cricket once normalcy resumes. A couple of weeks ago, the former left-arm wrist spinner suggested the use of private jets to transport players to Australia for the World T20 and now, the 49-year-old has come up with the mother of all suggestions.

Hogg has opined that the India-Australia series, that is scheduled to take place post the World T20, needs to be scrapped altogether and instead replaced with the Ashes and India-Pakistan. 

“Firstly scrap this summer’s India series against Australia and have the Ashes played instead,” Hogg said in a Youtube video, reported Hindustan Times.

“But on the flip side of not having India there, where do they play? They play a four-match series against Pakistan during the Christmas period -- two matches in Pakistan and two matches in India.”

Rivalry, according to Hogg, is what will ignite the interest of the general public and thus the 49-year-old opined that making the aforementioned change could give cricket a ‘rebirth’. The former KKR man also urged the ICC to declare the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle null and void.

“The pandemic has opened the door for ultimate cricket rebirth. Viewers want to see some competitive cricket, so scrap the World Test Championship (WTC) for a while and get a couple of series that are really going to ignite the interest around the world.”

Australia are currently scheduled to play a four-Test series against India post the conclusion of the World T20, in December.