Pakistan women vs India women - (Source: AFP)
In a significant development, there are reports that Pakistan's women's team won't travel to India to take part in the opening ceremony for the Women's World Cup 2025. Notably, the prestigious fifty-over event is set to kickstart on September 30 in Guwahati with hosts India and Sri Lanka squaring off against each other at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
Ahead of the tournament opener, the ICC has planned a big opening ceremony where Bollywood singer Shreya Ghosal will set fire on stage with a live performance. However, a Geo Super report mentioned that Pakistan women will skip the event and won't travel to India for the opening ceremony because of strained ties between the two nations.
Why Pakistan Won't Travel To India?
Notably, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2008, and during the debate for the Champions Trophy, the PCB and BCCI came to a consensus that both teams won't cross the border for ICC events and lock horns at a neutral venue for the next three years, which is why Pakistan won't play games in India and are travelling to Sri Lanka.
Likewise, India played Pakistan in the UAE during the Champions Trophy, and for the upcoming Women's World Cup, the Fatima Sana-led side will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the recent killings in Kashmir led to a war-like situation, which has further strained the relations between India and Pakistan.
Talking about Pakistani women, they will play seven games in the group stage and all of them will be played in Sri Lanka, with the first match against Bangladesh on October 2. Indian women and Pakistani women will lock horns on October 5 at R Premadasa Stadium.
