The England women's cricket team has voiced frustration over disruptions to their World Cup final preparations, caused by a pre-match performance from pop star Rita Ora. The singer is set to headline the closing ceremony of the Women's T20 World Cup on the Lord's outfield from 2:30pm to 3pm on Sunday, just 30 minutes before the final between England and Australia is scheduled to begin.
Warm-up time lost
The ceremony means that England will lose half an hour of warm-up time on the main square, a critical period for bowlers to mark their run-ups on the pitch. Although the Nursery Ground remains available, the disruption has left some players unhappy. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said, 'Obviously there's a few moving parts with the pre-game stuff. People like to bowl before the game on one of the bowl through wickets. We had a few chins down [when they found out]. I guess that's what you get when you're playing in a final and there's a lot of other moving parts that aren't to do with the two teams playing. Hopefully we can go about our business as usual.'
Comparison to previous finals
The reaction may be seen as overblown compared to the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Katy Perry's elaborate show made the entire main square inaccessible for several hours. Australia captain Sophie Molineux, who will lead her team on Sunday, appeared unfazed by Ora's performance. Joking about Ora's hit song 'Hot Right Now', she said, 'I'm assuming if Rita Ora is here, we can evacuate the dancefloor, that's for sure.' Molineux has fond memories of Perry's 2020 show, where she danced to 'Firework' after Australia's victory.
Ora's role and final details
Rita Ora, the first British female solo artist to achieve 13 singles in the UK Top 10, has been signed by the International Cricket Council to enhance the occasion before what is expected to be a capacity crowd at Lord's. The final, England's first in the T20 format since 2018, will be broadcast free-to-air on Sky Mix via Sky Sports. Australia has beaten England in all three previous T20 World Cup finals, in 2012, 2014, and 2018.
England's focus
Despite the disruption, Sciver-Brunt emphasized the magnitude of the event. 'It's a huge occasion. We've worked really hard to get to this point and I'm so excited to be able to walk through the Long Room with the girls and know that we've got each other's backs,' she said. England will rely on home advantage to overcome the formidable Australian side.
