Colombo, Oct 5 (UNI) Play in the ongoing India-Pakistan Women’s World Cup match here today was temporarily halted as players came off the field to allow staff to fumigate the ground with a pest control spray.
The 15-minute break was necessitated by an increase in bugs caused by yesterday’s rains in Colombo, which had become a distraction for both teams. The lost time was made up with a shorter innings break, ensuring no overs were lost.
At the time of the interruption, India were 154 for 4 in 34 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues unbeaten on 28 and Deepti Sharma on 2.
Officials said such interruptions are not unprecedented in cricket. During the third men’s T20I between South Africa and India in Centurion in 2024, play was stopped for about 30 minutes when flying ants invaded the ground.
Batting first, India posted 219 for 6, but when players returned for the second innings, they were greeted by the insects. Bowler Arshdeep Singh managed to bowl the first over, but umpires halted play, concerned that the ants could enter players’ eyes. Similarly, bees have occasionally disrupted play; in a men’s South Africa-Sri Lanka match, bees appeared near the crease, causing a brief pause, though the delay lasted only a few minutes.
The match had already seen a confusing start, as the toss was marred by miscommunication, and, following a trend seen in men’s cricket, the two captains did not shake hands.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur flipped the coin while Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana called ‘tails’. Match referee Shandre Fritz and announcer Mel Jones reportedly misheard the call as ‘heads’. When the coin landed showing heads, the toss was awarded to Fatima, who opted to field. Harmanpreet did not raise objections at the time.
The incident echoes the “handshake row” during the 2023 Asia Cup when Suryakumar Yadav captained India’s men’s team against Pakistan, following tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Deepti Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur had avoided giving a categorical answer ahead of the tournament, though the BCCI indicated that the no-handshake stance may extend to the women’s team as well.
