Pakistan’s Women Secure 2025 World Cup Spot, Forcing India to Share Hosting Duties

In a pivotal development ahead of the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, Pakistan has officially secured qualification, setting the stage for a hybrid-hosted tournament rather than a fully India-based event. With this win, logistical shifts and political dynamics are once again shaping international cricket.

Pakistan’s women’s team clinched their spot by defeating Thailand with an emphatic 87-run victory at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on April 17. With four consecutive wins in the qualifying stage, they’ve joined the ranks of India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka—all confirmed participants for the quadrennial event. One final spot remains up for grabs, with Bangladesh, West Indies, and Scotland locked in a tight race.

But the big story goes beyond on-field performance.

Although India is the designated host for the 2025 Women's World Cup—their first time hosting since 2013—political sensitivities with Pakistan have triggered a rerun of the hybrid hosting model previously seen during the 2025 Champions Trophy. That means India will no longer host all matches. Instead, Pakistan’s matches are expected to be played at neutral venues, likely in the UAE, echoing the format used when India played its Champions Trophy fixtures in Dubai.

This development stems from a prior agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), formalized in late 2024. According to the ICC, any India-Pakistan fixtures during the 2024–2027 global events cycle—including the 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 Women’s World Cup, and 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup—will be played at neutral venues due to diplomatic constraints.

“India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events… will be played at a neutral venue,” the ICC confirmed.

While India is co-hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka—posing fewer complications unless India and Pakistan meet in the final—the hybrid format now appears to be the new norm for bilateral fixtures in ICC events.

Back to the Women's World Cup: While an official venue list is still under wraps, sources suggest matches could be spread across Indian cities such as Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, and Mullanpur. Meanwhile, the UAE is once again being considered a strong candidate for co-hosting duties.

With political tensions steering tournament logistics and Pakistan’s qualification firmly in place, cricket fans worldwide are now watching to see how the ICC finalizes match schedules and neutral venues for what promises to be a groundbreaking World Cup.