Pakistan to host South Africa for three ODIs in build-up to 2025 women's World Cup
The preparation for the T20 World Cup in the middle of next year will be more exhaustive, with a tour of South Africa, home games against Zimbabwe, and a tri-series in Ireland also including West Indies
ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Jul-2025 • 4 hrs ago
Earlier this year, Pakistan confirmed their participation in the Women's ODI World Cup at the Qualifier • Associated Press
Pakistan will play three ODIs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore against South Africa from September 16 to 22 in the build-up to the 2025 ODI World Cup before leaving for Sri Lanka, where they will play all their group matches - as well knockout matches, if they qualify for that stage.
There is no other cricket scheduled for the team for the rest of 2025 apart from a three-match T20I series in Dublin in early August.
The major part of the build-up to the T20 World Cup in England in June-July 2026 will be in South Africa, where they play three ODIs and three T20Is in February-March next year, and the same number of ODIs and T20Is against Zimbabwe at home in April-May. That series was supposed to include five T20Is in addition to the three ODIs according to the future tours programme, but has been trimmed to three.
Pakistan will then travel to Ireland for a triangular T20I series also involving West Indies in May-June before travelling to England for the World Cup.
The women's Under-19 team is scheduled to play a national T20 tournament in Karachi from September 15 to October 6. The PCB has said in a statement that the tournament's top performers would be invited to a three-week skills development camp afterwards too. This, and a conditioning camp, will lay the foundation for the team for their tour of Bangladesh for a five-match T20 series in December this year.
On the domestic seniors' front, the PCB is "actively engaging in discussions with various departments to introduce a departmental tournament for women's cricket" and "this initiative will provide additional playing opportunities for our women cricketers", PCB's head of women's cricket, Rafia Haider, said.
The tournament, if it comes to pass, would slot into the domestic calendar alongside the women's one-day tournament, which takes place in Karachi from November 6 to 24. The international players are expected to take part in this event, played on a double-league basis and featuring 15 matches.
The women's T20 tournament will be staged in Karachi from March 24 to April 17 next year. An inter-university tournament is scheduled for October 2025 as well, though no schedule or venues have been announced for it yet.