COLOMBO: Dark. Gloomy. Occasional lightning with steady showers. It was the mood of the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday, with both Australia and Sri Lanka going through a frustrating wait in their respective dressing rooms. Even before one entered the city, the skyline of Colombo was covered with dark clouds; the floodlights at the venue was the only bright spot.
In many ways, it seemed indicative of what lies ahead for cricket over the weekend. A Australia-Sri Lanka contest, which was called off due to rain, followed by the much-anticipated India versus Pakistan tie. Never before has there been so many expectations and attention in the build-up to an India-Pakistan women’s game. With good reason; the Women in Blue have beaten Pakistan in all 11 ODIs the two teams have played. There is no on-field rivalry as such.
However, the off-field drama that happened over the last month during the Men’s T20 Asia Cup has followed the women to the World Cup. Inevitably so. It started in Chandigarh during the second ODI between India and Australia, where Deepti Sharma was asked about the no-handshake policy and whether the women would follow the same. Though at this point it seems like they would, Sharma sidestepped the question, saying they are focusing on the series.
During the captains' media day in Bengaluru, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was asked the same question, and she said the attention is on the tournament opener before adding, “Our main focus is on that because that game is going to set the tone for us. And secondly, all the teams are equally important. We can only control the things we can control. We are here to play cricket and our main focus is on cricket. We are not going to entertain anything else on the field because we are here to play cricket and our main focus will remain on cricket only," said Kaur.
The sentiment was echoed in the third-floor press conference room at Premadasa, with the media manager stating that there will be no questions taken on the off-field drama that has followed India-Pakistan or the handshakes, as the teams want to focus only on cricket. As much as the team and the players try to avoid the underlying tension in the air, the attention to the conflict between the two countries and the drama during the men’s Asia Cup, it is almost impossible to completely shut it all out.
After all, the last time these two teams played in an ODI World Cup, they shared a picture that broke the internet. After beating Pakistan in Mount Maunganui, the Indian players visited their opponents' dressing room and spent time with the then Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s young daughter Fatima. Maroof was returning to action after a maternity break and her daughter was travelling with the team. Pictures of Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana trying to get Fatima’s attention, taking selfies with her while attempting to make her look at the camera... this pictures kept getting recycled with cute emojis.
Cut to now, the circumstances have changed drastically. Post the Pahalgam attack, diplomatic relations crumbled and it has spilled over onto the field of play in different sport. The Indian men's team didn't follow through with basic pre and post match etiquette thrice in as many games.
India won the trophy and celebrated without holding it, as they refused to take it from ACC President and PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan's Interior Minister. Indian PM tweeted about the win, comparing it to Operation Sindoor. Naqvi posted some cryptic posts himself, and two days before the women’s World Cup match, the Indian Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, said that the Indian forces would not show any restraint the next time. "This time, we will not maintain the restraint that we had in Operation Sindoor 1.0. This time, we will do something that will make Pakistan think whether it wants to retain its place in geography or not," he said in Rajasthan.
Amidst all this, 22 players united by sport but separated by a border are expected to take the field while maintaining the spirit of the sport. Sana, when asked about the situation in 2022 and now, said their primary job is to play cricket and win. While acknowledging that they are aware of what is happening around them and outside, Sana said that they want to try and focus on the game. “We try to keep healthy relationships with every team. Whatever comes in the spirit of the game, we try to maintain that. What happened before, like with Bismah’s daughter, when everyone mingled and enjoyed together — as players, we all like such moments. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for,” she said.
Indian bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi sang from the same hymn sheet as well. “When you enter into a big tournament like a World Cup, the area of focus is only cricket. It's good to have the players in a good space. As you saw in the first game, after that first win, obviously, the team is on a momentum, on a roll, and they have been preparing well. So, everybody is in a good space where they are working in an ecosystem where they are trying to get their A game on the day, wherever it is,” he said.
However, they both would be very much aware that it is not going to be easy doing that at all. The entire world will have their eye on a women’s game like never before — the travelling press pack seems like an indication of it as well — and the 22 women will carry the weight of not just performing well but also conducting themselves in such a way that they stand by their respective countries.
It was half past five on Saturday evening in Colombo. The city and the stadium looked like it was past midnight. So it was no surprise that the Sri Lanka versus Australia had been officially called off. Could this be an ominous sign for Sunday? Or will the two teams get a chance to come out and give their best with cricket taking centrestage for once, again?
