The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will get underway on September 30 with an opening ceremony in Guwahati, but Pakistan will be conspicuously absent. Neither skipper Fatima Sana, her teammates, nor officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will attend, in keeping with the agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and PCB that prevents cross-border travel for ICC tournaments over the next three years.
As a result, while every other side will feature in the joint press conference and trophy photoshoot, Pakistan’s preparations remain centered in Colombo, their exclusive base for the tournament. Their fixtures begin on October 2 against Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium, with the much-anticipated clash against India scheduled for October 5 at the same venue. If Pakistan advance deep into the competition, the semifinal on October 29 and the final on November 2 will also be staged in Colombo.
This arrangement stems from a hybrid model introduced for ICC events involving India and Pakistan. After India refused to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, the model was formalized to ensure neither team crosses borders. In this Women’s ODI World Cup, hosted in India, the same template applies: all Pakistan matches, including the marquee India–Pakistan fixture, are shifted to a neutral venue.
The decision also reflects heightened sensitivities in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Kashmir, which claimed more than 28 civilian lives. In response, the BCCI reiterated its firm policy of no bilateral cricket with Pakistan, extending the stance explicitly to the women’s game. While India and Pakistan’s women’s teams have only ever met in ICC events, the board has made it clear that bilateral engagements are off the table for the foreseeable future.
For Pakistan, though, the focus is firmly on rewriting history. Fatima Sana will captain the side in a World Cup for the first time, determined to steer them beyond the group stage and into the top four — a feat they have never achieved. Since debuting in the ODI World Cup in 1997, Pakistan have played in five editions but managed only three wins, the last coming against West Indies in 2022.
Recent signs, however, offer encouragement. In the lead-up, Pakistan stormed through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2025 undefeated, winning all five matches to secure their place in the main event. That unbeaten run under Sana’s leadership has raised hopes of a breakthrough campaign.
While the celebrations in Guwahati unfold without them, Pakistan’s fate will be decided in Colombo. For the Women in Green, this World Cup represents more than a logistical compromise — it is a chance to carve out their strongest performance on the global stage.
(Inputs sourced form Geo News)
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