This week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) made a huge announcement: all of Pakistan’s women’s cricket matches at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will be staged in the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Pakistan won’t go to India, even though India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the event, because of long-standing political issues.
The Hybrid Hosting Model
The ICC’s hybrid hosting arrangement would mean that Pakistan’s games, including the important one against India on October 5, would be played in a neutral place. A lot of people liked the strategy during the men’s Champions Trophy earlier this year, and now it’s being employed in this women’s event too so that diplomats don’t get offended.
This arrangement makes sure the tournament is fair and enables Pakistan compete completely, without any problems with politicsThere is a possibility that all of Pakistan’s group-stage matches will take place in Colombo, so not just the big one against India, but the other teams that will play these six teams are Australia, England, South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s Specific Fixture Path
Pakistan will play Bangladesh on October 2 to start their campaign. They will have an important game against India on October 5. On October 8, they will play Australia. On October 15, they will play England. On October 18, they will play New Zealand. On October 21, they will play South Africa. On October 24, they will play Sri Lanka.
The ICC has also declared that if Pakistan makes it to the knockout rounds, its semi-final on October 29 and maybe even the final on November 2 will be hosted in Colombo, not India. According to the regular schedule, if they lose early, the matches shift to the Indian towns of Guwahati and Bengaluru.
Pros and cons of strategy
There are a lot of good things for Pakistan playing all of their games in the same place:
Consistent conditions: The squad learns how the pitch works and what’s going on in the area, which could help them play better.
Logistics are easier: Staying in one place means less interruption, which speeds up recovery and planning.
Fan focus: Because there is just one stadium, Pakistani fans and the media will always be there for you.
But this also puts a lot of stress on people’s minds.Playing India on neutral territory should not be as intimidating, or maybe it makes some players even more alone without their local crowd cheering them on. It will be a balance between good mood and steady form.
What This Means for Sports and Politics
The hybrid approach is a good way to bring sports and politics together. Cricket organisers pledge to be fair and avoid any diplomatic issues by utilising a neutral site. It sounds like prior ideas, such when India’s men’s Champions Trophy games were held in Dubai earlier this year.
This action indicates that cricket can keep people in the area interested even after the two countries’ connections are broken.It preserves the honesty to the tournament and ensures that Pakistan’s female cricketers can represent their country on the world stage without interruption.
Conclusion
It was a savvy, smart decision on the part of the ICC and co-hosts to allow Pakistan to complete their whole campaign in Colombo. It puts a lot of emphasis on fairness in competition, making things easier to plan, and being realistic about politics. As the Women’s World Cup approaches near, this announcement makes things clearer for both Pakistani fans and players. It shows that cricket can solve problems even when they are hard.
