Pakistan will not participate in the opening ceremony of the Women's Cricket World Cup scheduled for next month. The Women's ODI World Cup is set to commence on September 30, with India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the event.
Sports News: The Pakistani team will not be part of the opening ceremony for the Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, which is scheduled to begin next month. India and Sri Lanka are jointly hosting this tournament, with the inaugural match slated to be played between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30. Renowned Bollywood singer Shreya Ghoshal will perform at the opening ceremony.
Why will Pakistan not attend the opening ceremony?
According to ANI, Pakistan's captain, Fatima Sana, or any other representative will not travel to India to attend the opening ceremony. The reason for this is the strained relations between the two countries. This policy was previously adopted between India and Pakistan during the Champions Trophy, where neither team would play matches in the other's country. Following this policy, all of Pakistan's matches in the Women's World Cup will also be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. If the Pakistani team qualifies for the semi-finals scheduled for October 29 and the finals on November 2, these matches will also be hosted in Colombo.
Pakistan's women's team will play its first match of the tournament against Bangladesh on October 2. All of the team's matches will be held in Colombo. India and Pakistan have not played bilateral series against each other for a long time, so the two teams only face each other in ICC or multi-national tournaments.
Special Performances at the Opening Ceremony
The ICC has announced that leading Bollywood playback singer Shreya Ghoshal will deliver a live performance at the opening ceremony. This performance aims to celebrate the energy, enthusiasm, and global unity of women's cricket. Shreya Ghoshal has also recorded the official anthem for this tournament, 'Bring It Home.' The ICC has also informed that a limited number of tickets have been made available, with fans able to watch matches for as little as Rs 100, to attract a larger audience and boost the excitement for women's cricket.
The thrill of the tournament will begin with the opening match in India. Players and spectators attending the opening ceremony will get a sense of the standard of women's cricket and the importance of the competition. The fact that Pakistan's matches will be held in Sri Lanka also highlights the multi-national nature of the tournament.
