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Will Colombo Give Pakistan an Edge in the 2025 Women's World Cup
Under an important graft into the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, it has been eventually confirmed that all Pakistan matches will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The decision thereby falls under a “hybrid hosting model,” which has come into being through negotiations between the ICC and the BCCI.
India will be gearing up to host the tournament from September 30 to November 2, with matches to be held in four cities across India; however, with the ongoing diplomatic crunch between the two nations, the participation of Pakistan has been shifted to a neutral territory.
Pakistan's Asia Cup Journey: Colombo-Bound Exclusively
All of Pakistan's group matches, including the eagerly anticipated clash against archrivals India, will be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The women's India-Pakistan match will be played and televised internationally on October 5.
To maintain sporting integrity while keeping the team comfortable and safe, the entire campaign for Pakistan has been confined to Sri Lanka.
According to the hybrid approach of the ICC, the knockouts are backed with contingency planning as well. Should Pakistan then qualify for the semi-final stages, the match will be held in Colombo regardless of the city originally scheduled to play host.
The same guarantee would apply for the final, originally set for Bengaluru. Should Pakistan reach the final, the venue will also be shifted to Colombo. The idea is to prevent last-minute changes in venue and lessen the uncertainty that would otherwise plague teams, fans, and broadcasters.
India's Cities Host Other Teams' Clashes
The matches not involving Pakistan will hence be spread across four cities in India: Bengaluru, Indore, Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam. Bengaluru is to host the season opener, along with one semi-final and, potentially, the final if Pakistan does not feature in it.
Indore will host five games, making it one of the busiest venues of the tournament. Guwahati and Visakhapatnam are expected to host several marquee games, including league stages involving teams such as England, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
According to the ICC and the BCCI, placing Pakistan’s matches out of India was seen as conceptually in line with the precedent set in past tournaments.
A somewhat similar hybrid model was used recently for the men's Champions Trophy, where India’s matches were moved to Dubai after the tournament was conducted in Pakistan. These steps mirror the geopolitical realities but do not hinder teams from fully participating in global events.
Will playing in Colombo give Pakistan a World Cup edge?
The Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 is expected to be the milestone of this series of tournaments, not only in terms of logistical innovations but also in order to increase the fan outreach and media coverage.
As teams from all across the cricketing arena will participate, the tournament also attempts to elevate women’s cricket. In a more familiar setting, perhaps providing comfort, playing in Colombo may give Pakistan the edge in their quest for a breakthrough on the global stage.