The Pakistan women’s cricket team has become the first side to qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, after defeating Thailand in the ongoing qualifiers at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday. This marks Pakistan’s fourth consecutive win in the Qualifier round, securing their place in the upcoming main event, which will be hosted by India.
Pakistan will play their final group match on April 19, and a win will see them top the qualifiers table—further solidifying their dominance in this stage of the tournament.
Why Pakistan Will Not Play Any World Cup Matches in India
Despite India being the host nation for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, Pakistan will not play any of its matches on Indian soil. The decision stems from ongoing diplomatic and security tensions between the two countries and is part of a prior agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The roots of this arrangement go back to India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, citing security concerns. In response, both boards—under the supervision of the International Cricket Council (ICC)—agreed to a neutral venue policy for all bilateral matches between India and Pakistan during ICC events in the 2024–2027 cycle.
Neutral Venues for India-Pakistan ICC Matches
As per the ICC agreement:
“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.”
This means that if the two nations are scheduled to face each other—or if Pakistan has matches originally planned in India—they will be shifted to neutral venues such as UAE, Sri Lanka, or other ICC-approved locations.
What This Means for the 2025 Women’s World Cup
The arrangement ensures that Pakistan’s matches in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be played outside India, even though India remains the official host of the tournament. This workaround helps maintain tournament integrity while respecting the political realities surrounding Indo-Pak sports relations.