Defending champions Pakistan have decided not to participate in the Over-50 Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be held in India, due to a lack of government clearance.
Fawad Ijaz Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association, said the decision was taken after the government declined to grant permission for the team to participate in the tournament. He said the Over-50 Cricket World Cup is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad, Deccan, from January 23 to February 7, 2027.
The association chairman said they respected the decision of the Government of Pakistan, adding that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had informed them that permission to participate in the tournament would not be granted. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been embroiled in a dispute since India refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in early 2025.
The BCCI’s decision prompted a strong response from the PCB, eventually leading to a hybrid arrangement under which Pakistan and India agreed not to travel to each other’s countries for ICC events during the 2024–2027 cycle. Instead, their matches would be played at neutral venues.
Under this arrangement, Pakistan played all its matches in Sri Lanka during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, which India and Sri Lanka co-hosted. The highly anticipated Pakistan-India clash in the 20-team tournament was also held in Colombo.
A similar situation emerged in hockey in September, when the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) declined to send its national team to India for the upcoming Men’s Asian Champions Trophy. The PHF called for the tournament to be relocated or for Pakistan’s matches to be held at a neutral venue. However, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) subsequently replaced Pakistan with Bangladesh in the six-team tournament, which was scheduled to take place in Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5.
