A new controversy has emerged ahead of the Women’s World Cup as a report claims Pakistan will skip the opening ceremony and captain’s photoshoot in India. The decision is linked to a long-standing agreement on cross-border travel for ICC tournaments.
September 6, 2025: Reports say that the Pakistan women’s cricket team would not be going to the Women’s World Cup or the annual captain’s photograph in India, even though the opening ceremony is getting a lot of attention.
The tournament starts on September 30 with a match between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati. Before that, there will be a ceremony with a performance by singer Shreya Ghoshal. But a report from Pakistani news agency Geo News, which has been extensively reported in Indian media, says that Pakistan’s squad and its captain, Fatima Sana, will not go to India for the celebrations.
A “Fusion Formula” and Tensions in the World
It is reported that the decision was made because the cricket boards of both countries agreed not to send their teams to each other’s countries for any ICC tournament for the next three years. The “fusion formula” was first used during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. India refused to go to Pakistan, therefore matches were staged in neutral sites.
Following this rule, all of Pakistan’s Women’s World Cup games, including the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan game on October 5, will take place in the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. If the team makes it to the semifinals or finals, those games will also be played at the same neutral location.