Reason why Pakistan team will skip the opening ceremony of Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025

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Pakistan team has reportedly decided to skip the opening ceremony of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, scheduled for September 30 at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, India. The elaborate ceremony precedes the first match of the tournament between host nations India and Sri Lanka.

As reported by Geo News, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana and her team’s officials will not be attending any event in India. This decision is a direct consequence of the long-standing political tensions between the two nations, which have historically prevented direct bilateral series between the men’s and women’s teams. This complicated relationship has resulted both teams to play at neutral venues. For the Women’s World Cup, Pakistan’s entire schedule, including their highly anticipated match against India on October 5, will be held at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Earlier this year at the Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian men’s cricket team declined to travel to Pakistan, the tournament’s host nation. This decision resulted in all of India’s matches being relocated to a neutral venue in Dubai. The move drew significant criticism from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which publicly expressed its strong disapproval and disappointment over the stance taken by its Indian counterparts.

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The Women’s World Cup will be held from September 30 to November 2, operating under a unique hybrid model. India and Sri Lanka will co-host the event, with matches taking place across five venues in total. The tournament features a round-robin format before the knockout stages. Notably, the venues for one of the semifinals and the final are still to be confirmed, depending on which teams qualify for the knockout stage. All of Pakistan’s matches, including their group stage and potential knockout fixtures, are scheduled to be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.