PCB Chairman refuses to send women’s team for World Cup in India

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PCB Chairman refuses to send women’s team for World Cup in India​

Mohsin Naqvi reiterated Pakistan’s stance, saying the team is willing to compete at any neutral venue except India.

News Desk
April 19, 2025

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that the national women’s cricket team will not travel to India for the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup, in line with an existing agreement between the boards.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the women’s team at Gaddafi Stadium, Naqvi said, “The Pakistan women’s team will not go to India as per the agreement. India is the host, they will decide where to hold the matches.”

He reiterated Pakistan’s stance, saying the team is willing to compete at any neutral venue except India.

The statement comes amid ongoing tensions over bilateral cricket ties. India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, and played its matches at a neutral venue, a model previously used during the 2023 Asia Cup.

Following months of negotiations, both boards agreed on a hybrid model to resolve the deadlock. According to ESPNcricinfo, the model allows India to play at neutral venues for ICC tournaments hosted by Pakistan, and vice versa.

“This agreement applied to the 2025 men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan, the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka,” the report said.

Under the arrangement, neutral venues are proposed by the host board and must be approved by the ICC.

India went on to win the tournament, having played all its games in Dubai, while Pakistan hosted the rest of the fixtures.

Commenting on team performance, Naqvi praised the women’s squad for playing as a unit and said they would be rewarded.

“When a team plays together, results like this follow. These players deserve rewards — it’s their right,” he said.

He noted that recent improvements followed minor changes within the squad and said similar progress is expected in the Under-19 and Shaheens (Pakistan A) teams.

On broader cricket matters, Naqvi said key decisions regarding the men’s national team would be made soon. He confirmed that Aqib Javed was temporarily asked to take on a coaching role in an interim capacity.

“It was a temporary decision. We’ll review this matter again next week,” he added.

Naqvi declined to comment on reports of Mohammad Rizwan’s dissatisfaction over limited decision-making powers.

Earlier in the day, the PCB chief met with the women’s team and congratulated them on their recent performances.