Pakistan eyes hosting all 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup matches as UAE emerges for India

Pakistan is keen to stage every fixture at the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup that does not feature India, while the United Arab Emirates is shaping up as the preferred neutral venue for the Indian team’s games. The International Cricket Council has announced that the 12-team tournament will take place from September 7 to October 1, 2028, with Pakistan serving as the principal host.

The neutral venue for India’s fixtures has not yet been finalised, though the ICC has confirmed that such an arrangement will be in place for the event. A Pakistan Cricket Board source said Pakistan is prepared to stage the tournament but would press the ICC to replicate the hybrid arrangement that governed the 2025 Champions Trophy.

“We would like to host matches of both groups and the knockout matches where the Indian team is not involved,” the source said as quoted by India Today.

“UAE will probably be the neutral venue of choice for everyone because the travel between Pakistan and Dubai is short, and logistics becomes less expensive and easier to handle,” he added.

The arrangement follows the hybrid model agreed upon by India and Pakistan for ICC events, under which matches involving the two countries are held at neutral venues when either nation hosts a tournament. The ICC confirmed the arrangement in December 2024 and extended it to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup.

The model was implemented during the 2025 Champions Trophy, hosted by Pakistan, with Dubai serving as the neutral venue for India’s matches. India played all its games in Dubai, including the final against New Zealand, which it won. Pakistan hosted 10 of the tournament’s 15 matches.

The same approach has been followed in other major tournaments. During the 2023 Asia Cup, co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, India played its matches in Sri Lanka. Similarly, during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup in India, Pakistan played its matches in Colombo, including its group-stage clash against India.

India are among the leading teams in women’s cricket and are expected to be strong contenders for the knockout stages of the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup. According to a PCB source, Lahore could host the final if India fail to qualify, although the ICC has yet to confirm the venue arrangements.

The source also noted that hosting the tournament would provide a significant boost to women’s cricket in Pakistan, which is keen to develop a competitive team ahead of the global event.

The 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup will provide another important test for the hybrid model as India and Pakistan continue to play their matches at neutral venues in multinational tournaments.