‘Just a little search on Google’ – Sophie Devine calls for better scheduling to avoid rain-curtailed matches in World Cups

Sophie Devine (Photo Source: ICC)

New Zealand’s skipper Sophie Devine has called for better forecasting by the management for big tournaments like the Women’s World Cup 2025. Her comments came after a total of five matches were completely affected by rain as of Sunday, October 26.

Devine sided with Pakistan legend Fatima Sana’s previous remarks, which were related to the International Cricket Council and their selection of venues for tournaments as grand as the World Cup. Devine spoke on how there are a lack of ODIs which are played in women’s cricket anyway.

“The World Cup, it comes around once every four years. I heard Fatima Sana also speaking about it — that they don’t play much cricket. We don’t play much cricket, especially in the ODI format, and to have the World Cup be so badly affected by something again that everyone knows about,” stated Devine in an interaction with Sky Sports.

The batting all-rounder remarked that all the administrators had to do prior to organizing the tournament was a simple weather forecast check on the internet. Devine, who will be retiring from ODIs after New Zealand’s final round-robin clash, hoped for better planning for the tournaments to come in the future.

“I think we saw it as soon as we found out that the tournament was gonna be played partly in Sri Lanka in October — that’s monsoon season. Doesn’t take much, just a little search on Google, and I mean, it’s pretty obvious to everyone. You certainly hope moving forward that there’s a bit more future planning, that there is a bit more flexibility as you’re saying to be able to adapt to that. And obviously, I understand that money, broadcasters, TV — it all helps fund the game, but it’s not much fun just watching covers be put on and off and players in the changing room,” she added.

While New Zealand were influenced by rain twice, Sri Lanka and Pakistan had to share points in three of their group games out of the seven that each team has been allocated to play. All five of the rain-affected fixtures were when the matches were played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. There could quite possibly have been different semi-finalists had all matches had been played without any rain interruption.

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