Pakistan opt out of India-hosted 2027 Over-50s Cricket World Cup

Pakistan will not participate in the IMC Over-50s Cricket World Cup 2027 in Hyderabad after the government declined to clear the team’s travel to India, the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) said on Tuesday.

PVCA Chairman Fawad Ijaz Khan said the association had approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior for permission after Veterans Cricket India assured it that Pakistani players would receive visas and high-level security during the tournament, scheduled from January 23 to February 7.

The association was subsequently informed by Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi that permission could not be granted.

Pakistan were due to defend the title they won in Colombo in 2025, when they beat The Lions by six wickets in the final after chasing 234 in 44.1 overs.

The government has not publicly stated whether wider Pakistan-India tensions influenced the decision. However, it comes against the backdrop of strained political and sporting ties between the two countries since their military confrontation in May 2025.

Cricket relations have remained particularly sensitive. India’s men’s team declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council Chairman Mohsin Naqvi after winning the tournament in Dubai in September 2025. A similar episode followed in September 2026, when India’s women’s team also did not accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi.

The two incidents reflected the broader political tension increasingly spilling into cricketing engagements, although neither the PVCA nor the government has cited them as a reason for Pakistan’s withdrawal from the veterans’ World Cup.

Pakistan and India have also largely avoided travelling to each other’s countries for major tournaments in recent years, with neutral venues increasingly used for matches between the two sides. Ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy, an arrangement was reached for India and Pakistan to play one another at neutral venues during ICC events through 2027.

For the PVCA, the decision means Pakistan will surrender the chance to defend its Over-50s world title despite assurances from the Indian organisers over visas and security arrangements.