The 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup, taking place in Sri Lanka, is facing significant disruptions due to the country’s monsoon season. October, normally one of the wettest months of the year, was projected to receive 300 to 370 millimeters of rain this month. Monsoon rains have washed out five of the nine games played in Colombo so far. This extreme weather has forced four of those matches to go without a winner.
The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo lies at the center of these complexities. It is hosting the majority of the matches, including all of Pakistan’s matches. Heightened political tensions with India have limited Pakistan’s matches to Colombo to make matters worse for players and organizers, to say nothing of the fans.
Fatima Sana’s team are presently sitting at the bottom of the tournament standings. They are now up against the dire threat of extinction. Just look at their recent loss to England to understand the crisis that teams are facing. England collapsed to 133 for 9 in reply. Just when it seemed like Pakistan were building up their chase momentum, rain stopped play and resulted in a washed-out match.
The captain of New Zealand, Sophie Devine, could hardly hide her disappointment on the surfaces.
“It’s extremely frustrating, let’s be honest. You wait four years for a World Cup and to suffer through the rain,” – Sophie Devine.
Additionally, she recommended that future tournaments should look into changing the start times of games to avoid rain delays.
“I hope in future editions, they think of playing earlier in the day. We have seen the rain comes in the evening so play at 10 or 11. For the game to be scuppered by rain is a real shame for me,” – Sophie Devine.
Alex Hartley, who won the tournament in 2017, shared similar sentiments regarding the predictability of the weather during this crucial event.
“You don’t want to come into a 50-over World Cup going ‘oh, well let’s hope we get a T20 tonight if it rains a little bit’. It’s been a little bit too predictable and really disappointing,” – Alex Hartley.
The severity of the rain thankfully caused Hartley to admit that this year’s tournament has already been ruined by extreme weather.
“It’s ruined this World Cup – it’s been a real shame,” – Alex Hartley.
England coach Charlotte Edwards has already voiced her concerns about the state of affairs in Sri Lanka. She pointed out that the current weather situation is dampening what should be a fun, celebratory time for women’s cricket.
As the tournament progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that weather has played a crucial role in determining outcomes and maintaining player morale. Matches scheduled as day-nighters, starting at 10:30 BST and 15:00 local time, were intended to provide optimal conditions but seem to have backfired given the rain patterns typical for this time of year.
The 35-year-old Sophie Devine will be preparing for what will likely be her final 50-over World Cup. The stakes are especially high for her and others like her who are on the cusp of retirement. The frustration and sadness at missed chances because of the weather speaks to how future scheduling and venue decisions for global competitions should be made.
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