Pakistan’s women’s cricket team will play their matches in the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Sri Lanka instead of India. The decision comes amid ongoing tensions between the two nations, with both sides continuing to avoid playing matches on each other’s soil.

 

Earlier this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a hybrid model allowing teams in joint tournaments, including the Champions Trophy, to play matches in a neutral third country instead of the host nation.

 

Under this model, Pakistan’s group matches in the Women’s World Cup 2025 will be held in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. These matches include key fixtures against teams like India and England. Should Pakistan advance to the semi-finals or finals, those matches will also be hosted in Colombo.

 

Meanwhile, the Indian city of Bengaluru will host the tournament’s opening match and possibly the final, provided Pakistan does not reach the final. Other Indian host cities include Guwahati, Indore, and Visakhapatnam.

 

Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister clearly announced in April that the national women’s team would not tour India this year. According to him, it is up to India to decide where Pakistan’s matches will be held.

 

The tournament is scheduled to run from September 30 to November 2. Australia, the current world champion, won the previous Women’s World Cup after defeating England in the final.

 

However, experts have raised concerns about hosting matches in Sri Lanka, considering that October is among the most humid months in the country, and frequent weather disruptions may impact the flow of the tournament.

 

Historically, Pakistan and India have only faced each other in ICC or Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events, even before recent diplomatic tensions. The situation escalated when India refused to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, choosing instead to play its matches in Dubai.