Pakistan secured qualification for the 2025 Women's World Cup on Thursday (April 17). How does this change things for the tournament, set to be hosted by India?
Pakistan qualify for 2025 Women's World Cup
In the six-team qualifying tournament for the competition, which begins in September this year, Pakistan beat Thailand by 87 runs to record a fourth straight win, ensuring a top-two spot and making it to the eight-team main tournament.
Match 12, Pakistan Women vs Thailand Women
vs
- Ball by ball Over
The star on the day was skipper Fatima Sana, who scored an unbeaten 62 off 59 balls to help her side post 205-6, before coming back to dismiss Nattaya Boochatham, Thipatcha Putthawong and Suwanan Khiaoto and finishing with 3-39.
One of Bangladesh, Scotland or West Indies will be the last team to qualify for the World Cup.
How does Pakistan's qualification change the tournament logistics?
No team visited Pakistan between 2009 and 2019 following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team, but since the return of touring teams to the country, India have still refused to travel. Tensions exist on both sides of the border, Pakistan have visited India in this time – for the 2023 Men's World Cup.
Ahead of Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy earlier this year, the ICC mediated an agreement between the BCCI and the PCB regarding global tournaments held in either country.
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A press release from December 2024 reads: "India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December.
"This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka)."
India played all of their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, while the rest of the tournament took place in Pakistan. As the Men in Blue made it all the way to the final, their semi-final as well as the summit clash were also held there.
What are the venues for the 2025 Women's World Cup?
Last month, the BCCI recommended five venues for the Women's World Cup – Indore, Raipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam and Mullanpur, which will host the final. These venues are yet to be approved by the ICC, but no hiccups are foreseen.
However, now that Pakistan have qualified, arrangements will have to be made for a neutral venue. Dubai, or the UAE as a whole (including Sharjah and Abu Dhabi), appear the most likely option.
The only previous time the Women's World Cup has been held in two countries was in the inaugural edition, across England and Wales. The 2017 edition was hosted by the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board), but all five venues at that tournament – Derby, Bristol, Leicester, Taunton and London – were in England.
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