Pakistan to play all games of India-based Women's Cricket World Cup in neutral Sri Lanka
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — All of Pakistan's cricket games in the 50-over Women's World Cup will be in neutral Sri Lanka.
India is staging the tournament from Sept. 30-Nov. 2, but political tensions mean Pakistan will not touch India soil, even if it reaches the final.
The same hybrid model was used in the men's Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan in February-March. India played only in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where it also played and won the final.
Political ties between the neighbors have been particularly tense in recent months, with the countries stepping back from the brink of war in May.
Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati and Indore will host World Cup games in India, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, is the neutral venue, the International Cricket Council announced on Monday.
The tournament will begin in Bengaluru with a game involving host India.
Bengaluru will also host the second semifinal on Oct. 30. Guwahati has the first semifinal but Colombo will be on standby if Pakistan qualifies
Bengaluru will also host the final, but if Pakistan reaches that stage, Colombo will be the venue.
The eight participating teams are India, defending champion Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Pakistan and Bangladesh took the last two spots in the qualifiers in Lahore after the West Indies narrowly missed out on net run-rate to Bangladesh. 2026 Women's T20 World Cup
The Oval in London will host both semifinals of the Women's T20 World Cup on June 30 and July 2 next year, and Lord's will stage the final on July 5.
The tournament begins on June 12 at Edgbaston. Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Southampton are the other venues of the 24-day tournament.
There will be 12 teams, two more than last October's tournament in the UAE.
Australia, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and defending champion New Zealand have qualified. The remaining four spots will be decided in a qualifying tournament next year.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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