New Zealand captain Sophie Devine expressed her frustration after rain forced the abandonment of her team’s Women’s World Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan, marking the second consecutive washed-out match for both sides. The washout left semifinal qualification scenarios in a delicate position for New Zealand. The match, held at the R Premadasa Stadium, was called off due to persistent rain, resulting in shared points. This was not only the second washout for both teams in the tournament but also the fourth match at the venue to be affected by rain during the competition.

“I hope you were watching that South Africa game the other night, where they were off for five hours and still managed to squeak in a game. So, yeah, look, you must feel we were in a decent position today, you just needed the rain to hold off, and unfortunately, it didn’t happen today. It’s extremely frustrating. You wait four years for a World Cup, and to have rain play such a massive part in it is disappointing. I think, hopefully, in future editions, they might consider starting games earlier in the day,” Devine said at the post-match presentation.

Devine emphasised that scheduling games earlier could mitigate rain disruptions and allow teams to play full matches.

“We’ve obviously seen here that the rain usually comes in the afternoon, so there’s a real opportunity to play these matches at 10 or 11 a.m. and actually get a game in. Because that’s what all the teams want  to play cricket. You’ve waited so long to be here, you want to test yourself against the best, and to be scuppered by rain is a real shame for me. It’s pretty flat. We really wanted to play today. We were up and about for this match, and we just wanted to be out there playing cricket. But now, the situation is extremely clear, we just need to win both games, starting with India in Mumbai. It’s a big challenge, but we’re really excited about it. I know the girls don’t need any extra motivation to take them on,” she added.

The washout had significant implications for the tournament standings. New Zealand remains in fifth place, while Pakistan sits at the bottom, effectively ending their hopes of reaching the knockout stages. On the other hand, South Africa benefited from the no-result scenario, officially securing a semifinal spot alongside Australia. The outcome leaves New Zealand with two must-win matches against India and England as the team looks to keep its World Cup dreams alive despite the weather setbacks.