Pakistan cricketer makes controversial remark on playing Women’s World Cup in India
Synopsis
Pakistan cricketer Gull Feroza sparked controversy with her statement on the team's participation in the Women's ODI World Cup in India after the Pahalgam terror attack. India will be hosting the marquee event in Step
Pakistan cricketer Gull Feroza has sparked a controversy with her statement on the team playing the Women’s ODI Cup in India after the Pahalgam terror attack, which took place on April 22. In the wake of a gruesome terrorist attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which witnessed 28 tourists being killed, including 26 Indians and two foreign nationals, there has been a growing chorus in India to sever all the cricketing ties with Pakistan.
India are set to host the Women’s ODI World Cup, which will take place in September and Pakistan have qualified for the marquee event after the qualifiers at home. However, the tournament is likely to take place in a hybrid model, with Pakistan playing at a neutral venue. In February this year, the Champions Trophy 2025 was held in a hybrid model, with India playing all their fixtures, including semifinal and final in Dubai after BCCI refused to send the team to Pakistan due to political and historical tensions between two nations.
The relationship between India and Pakistan further strained after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and thus, the BCCI decided to suspend the bilateral series between two arch-rivals. The last bilateral series between two sides was in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for a short limited-overs series comprising three ODIs and two T20Is.
Gull Feroza’s controversial statement
Amidst India’s calls for severing cricketing ties with Pakistan after Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan opener sparked controversy by stating that the team is not interested in playing Women’s ODI World Cup in India, while expressing optimism of playing in Dubai or Sri Lanka.
“We know this much that we will play in Asian conditions, and we are not playing in India. This is clear. Neither are we interested in playing in India,” Feroza said as quoted by PakPassion.
“So, wherever it is played - hopefully in Sri Lanka or Dubai - those conditions are similar to the ones you get in Asia. The Qualifiers were at home, and the staff prepared tracks accordingly.
Wherever the World Cup games are played, the conditions will be similar to those we have at home. So, our preparation will be according to that, and we are ready for that,” she added.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has already confirmed that the Women in Green won’t be travelling to India for the Women’s ODI World Cup and rather play at a neutral venue.
The upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup is taking place in a format of round robin, where all the participating teams will play against each other once in the group stage. The fixtures of the tournament are not yet announced as the ICC has yet to decide the neutral venue for Pakistan. India will have to travel to a designated neutral venue to play their group-stage match against Pakistan during the marquee event.
India to host Men’s Asia Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026
Apart from hosting the Women’s ODI World Cup, India will also host this year’s Asia Cup and T20 World Cup 2026. During the extensive decision regarding a neutral venue for India’s matches of the Champions Trophy 2025, PCB agreed to BCCI’s demand after an agreement on a hybrid model for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Though India did not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year and this year’s Champions Trophy, the Men in Green travelled to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they were knocked out early from the tournament after sixth in the group stage.
After suspension of bilateral series, India and Pakistan have met only in multi-team tournaments like Asia Cup, Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup, and ODI World Cup. There were reports of the BCCI sending a letter to the ICC, requesting not to club India and Pakistan in the same group for the ICC events.