A compromise that ended up making cricket the casualty

The 13th edition of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup has seen an unusual casualty list -- not of players, but of matches.

The latest was Pakistan and Sri Lanka's final fixture in Colombo on Friday, abandoned after just 4.2 overs due to relentless rain. It marked the fifth washed-out game of the tournament -- and the third involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

While India were the official hosts of the tournament, Pakistan's matches were moved to a neutral venue in Sri Lanka under an ICC-brokered arrangement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The agreement, made official in December 2024, stipulated that any game between India and Pakistan, or any involving either side when either nation hosts an ICC event during the 2024-2027 cycle, would be staged at a neutral venue.

The decision was born out of strained diplomatic ties. Both the men's and women's teams of the two neighbours have not played a bilateral series in over a decade, and the countries even shared a four-day military and aerial standoff in May this year. The no-handshakes policy of the captains of the two sides carried over to this tournament from the men's Asia Cup last month, as cricket continued to be the victim.

This time, cricket also suffered due to the compromise of having neutral venues. By shifting Pakistan's fixtures to Colombo during the island's monsoon season, the tournament witnessed repeated disruptions. All five washed-out matches of the competition were in Colombo, which hosted a total of 11 games.

On Friday, after a delay of more than three hours, the contest between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was shortened to 34 overs per side. Pakistan reached 18 without loss before rain returned to wash away any hopes of a result.

It was understandable that the captains of both teams, who bore the maximum brunt of the inclement weather, were left disappointed, urging reconsideration of venue choices in future tournaments.

"The weather didn't go in our favour. ICC must look into the best venues for World Cups. We are waiting for four years for a World Cup and it's disappointing to finish like this," Pakistan captain Fatima Sana said after Friday's game.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu said they "cannot control the weather," admitting it was a "disappointing campaign," much like her Pakistan counterpart. However, Sri Lanka can take pride in the fact that they managed to climb to fifth in the points table with five points, courtesy of one win and a point each from their three washed-out games.

They will stay there if England beat New Zealand on Sunday, ensuring the islanders finish above the White Ferns -- a commendable outcome for a side that had failed to qualify for the previous World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.

Before the tournament, arrangements had been made with Pakistan's potential progression in mind. If the team had reached the semifinals, the first semifinal -- scheduled in Guwahati -- would have been relocated to Colombo. Similarly, the final, set for Navi Mumbai, was also subject to change in case Pakistan had qualified.

On paper, Pakistan never looked like a team capable of earning a berth for the title showdown. In the end, however, the rain eliminated even the slightest possibility of them making their first-ever final. With all their points coming from rain-affected games, Pakistan ended their campaign without a single win, finishing in seventh place, one ahead of Bangladesh, who have a game in hand.

However, for now, the debate extends beyond the points table. The neutral-venue arrangement -- a byproduct of political tension -- has once again raised questions over whether cricket continues to pay the price for diplomatic distance. This time, Pakistan and Sri Lanka seemed to have suffered the most. But if cricket and politics continue to collide, it could be any team next, for any other reason, in some other way.