Colombo, Oct 18 (NationPress) The captain of New Zealand, Sophie Devine, voiced her frustration after rain led to the cancellation of their pivotal ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Pakistan in Colombo, significantly impacting the White Ferns’ aspirations of making it to the semifinals.

The match was abandoned due to prolonged rain at the R. Premadasa Stadium, the capital of Sri Lanka. This marks the fourth match at this venue to be washed out, and it is the second time New Zealand has faced such disappointment in the tournament, following their previous match against South Africa, which also fell victim to the weather.

As a result, New Zealand's chances of advancing to the final four have become exceedingly slim, a sentiment echoed in Sophie’s remarks.

“I hope you caught the South Africa match the other night, where they were off for five hours yet still managed to pull off a win,” Devine stated.

“So, you must feel you were in a good position today; we just needed the rain to hold off, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out,” she expressed during the post-match presentation.

“It’s incredibly frustrating. You wait four years for a World Cup, and to have rain play such a significant role is truly disappointing,” she continued.

Devine called on the tournament organizers to rethink scheduling for future matches at the venue to prevent similar interruptions.

“I think, ideally, for future editions, they might consider starting games earlier in the day. We’ve seen that the rain typically arrives in the afternoon, so there’s a real chance to hold these matches at 10 or 11 a.m. and actually get a game in. All teams are eager to play cricket,” she remarked.

“You’ve waited so long to be here and wish to compete against the best, and having rain derail that is a real letdown for me. It’s quite disheartening. We genuinely wanted to play today. We were pumped for this match, and we just wanted to be out there on the field,” she added.

Following the washout, New Zealand is now in a must-win position for their final two matches against India and England.

“But now, the path is very clear; we must win both games, starting with India in Mumbai. It’s a tough challenge, but we’re genuinely excited about it. I know the girls don’t need any extra motivation to face them,” she explained.

“We’ll head back to India tomorrow and look forward to those challenges. We were so focused on these matches here in Colombo that we wanted to give them our full attention. Fortunately, we have a few days before our next game against India, so we’ll prepare thoroughly,” she added.

Reflecting on their upcoming rivals, Devine stated, “We’ve had some positive experiences against them recently, including last year’s World Cup, and we’ll rely on those. However, we also recognize they are significant favorites, playing at home, in conditions favorable to them, with threats throughout their lineup.”

“But again, this is what you aim for - to compete against the best teams in their own territory and challenge yourself. We’re genuinely looking forward to that experience.”