(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Pakistan Women’s Team to Miss ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Opening Ceremony
The ongoing deadlock between Pakistan and India in sporting relations will extend into the cricket arena, as Pakistan’s women’s team has officially confirmed it will not attend the opening ceremony of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
The grand ceremony is set to take place on September 30 at the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium in India, ahead of the tournament’s first match between co-hosts India and Sri Lanka. The event will include a joint press conference with team captains, a trophy photoshoot, and traditional introductions to mark the start of the competition.
However, Pakistan’s captain, Fatima Sana, and her squad will remain absent due to the recently introduced “Fusion Formula.” Under this arrangement, for the next three years, Pakistan and India will not travel to each other’s soil for ICC events, including ceremonial activities such as photoshoots and press meets.
Instead, Pakistan’s entire World Cup campaign will take place in Colombo at the R. Premadasa Stadium. This includes all group matches as well as knockout fixtures. Should Pakistan qualify for the semifinal on October 29 or the final on November 2, those matches will also be staged in Sri Lanka.
The decision is consistent with earlier precedents. For example, India’s Rohit Sharma was previously not permitted to attend a captains’ event for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which later faced scheduling challenges.
Pakistan will begin its World Cup journey on October 2 against Bangladesh, with the squad aiming to build on its strong performance in the qualifiers earlier this year. Supporters are hopeful that Fatima Sana and her team can achieve a breakthrough performance on the global stage and elevate Pakistan women’s cricket to new heights.
