Pakistan secures rights to host ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Pakistan has secured the rights to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, following approval by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during its Board meeting held in Ahmedabad on Monday. The event represents a significant achievement for women’s cricket in Pakistan and reflects the country’s growing role in staging major international cricket tournaments. As part of the current ICC framework governing cricket relations between Pakistan and India, any matches involving India during the tournament will be conducted at a neutral venue rather than in Pakistan. Alongside confirming the hosting rights, the ICC Board introduced several changes related to tournament planning, playing regulations, and administrative matters. One of the notable decisions was the approval of a trial allowing teams to use a pink ball in Test cricket if both sides agree. The initiative is intended to reduce disruptions caused by poor lighting conditions and improve playing time. The governing body also decided to increase the interval between innings in T20 Internationals from the current duration to 15 minutes. In women’s cricket, the schedule for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy was revised. The tournament, originally planned for the June–July period in 2027, will now be held from February 14 to February 28, 2027. The ICC further announced that the Emerging Nations Trophy in 2026 will feature 10 participating teams, comprising five Full Member nations and five Associate Member teams. To create broader pathways to global competition, the Board approved the introduction of a 16-team qualification event for future Men’s T20 World Cups. On the governance front, the ICC suspended the Canada Cricket Board’s membership, citing major violations of its regulations. Despite the suspension, Canadian national teams will remain eligible for ICC tournaments. The council also revealed plans to send a two-member delegation to Bangladesh to assess several issues, including matters related to the