Sri Lanka to host Pakistan World Cup games amid India tensions

Sri Lanka will big matches astatine this year's Women's World Cup arsenic portion of ongoing arrangements surrounding fixtures involving India and Pakistan.

India's refusal to recreation to Pakistan for nan men's Champions Trophy earlier this twelvemonth prompted nan International Cricket Council (ICC) to present neutral venues to tournaments hosted by either nation.

As portion of nan plans, announced successful December, neither state will recreation to nan different for an ICC event.

The Sri Lankan metropolis of Colombo will subordinate Indian cities Bengaluru, Guwahati, Indore and Visakhapatnam successful staging nan Women's World Cup, which runs from 30 September until 2 November.

Colombo will big Pakistan's 7 group games, including against India and England. It will besides big a semi-final and nan last if Pakistan make it that far.

Bengaluru will shape nan opening match, involving India, and nan last if Pakistan are not involved. The afloat database of fixtures for nan eight-team tourney is still to beryllium announced.

Australia are nan defending World Cup champions, having beaten England successful nan last of nan erstwhile tourney successful New Zealand, delayed until 2022 because of nan Covid-19 pandemic.

One imaginable problem pinch nan logistical move could beryllium nan weather, pinch October 1 of nan wetter months of nan twelvemonth successful Sri Lanka.

India and Pakistan were not playing each different extracurricular of awesome tournaments moreover earlier nan conflict betwixt nan 2 nations past month.

The cricketing hostility betwixt nan 2 countries escalated complete nan Champions Trophy. Even though Pakistan travelled to India for nan men's 50-over World Cup successful 2023, India did not make a reciprocal travel earlier this year.

As portion of nan ICC arrangements, India played their matches successful Dubai, going connected to triumph nan trophy aft playing each fixture astatine nan aforesaid venue.

In May, amid cross-border subject strikes betwixt nan 2 nations, some nan Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League were suspended earlier resuming. The delayed IPL last will beryllium played connected Tuesday.

It remains to beryllium seen whether nan authorities of either state will let their squad to return portion successful a fixture against nan other.

It has besides been announced nan opening crippled of adjacent year's Women's T20 World Cup successful England will beryllium played astatine Edgbaston connected 12 June.

The semi-finals person been confirmed for The Oval. The last will return spot astatine Lord's connected 5 July 2026.