England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has voiced concerns that pop singer Rita Ora's performance at the Women's T20 World Cup closing ceremony will disrupt her team's preparations for the final.
Ora is scheduled to perform on stage between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. BST, with the championship match set to begin half an hour later. This timing means that 30 minutes of crucial pre-match preparation on the main square will be lost, with players relegated to the Nursery Ground during that period. Sciver-Brunt indicated that her bowlers were not pleased with the schedule.
"Obviously there's a few moving parts with the pre-game stuff," Sciver-Brunt stated. "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."
This 30-minute reduction in pitch access contrasts with a previous high-profile performance. Katy Perry's closing ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground reportedly made a significant portion of the pitch inaccessible for several hours due to her stage setup.
Australia's captain, Sophie Molineux, appeared more relaxed about the potential disruption. "I'm assuming if Rita Ora is here, we can evacuate the dancefloor, that's for sure," Molineux commented, seemingly unfazed by the prospect.
Molineux's calm demeanor may stem from past experiences, including Perry's performance, during which she reportedly enjoyed the celebratory atmosphere. Ora has been engaged by the International Cricket Council to enhance the event's grandeur for an anticipated full house at Lord's.
Australia, a dominant force in the tournament with six previous wins, including three in a row before New Zealand's victory in the 2024 World Cup, is also looking to potentially have Ellyse Perry back in the lineup. Perry had an injury scare during the semi-final against the West Indies but has since trained well.
"Ellyse trained really well, had a good bat, had a good bowl, she will field as well," Molineux said. "We will assess tomorrow, see how she pulls up before we make any decisions. It would be great if she can bowl for us, but at the same time with our bowling depth, we feel like we have got cover there. Her T20 World Cup so far with the bat, she has been incredible and has won us a couple of games. Even if she is not bowling, it will be a massive positive for us."
Perry, a veteran of all 10 T20 World Cups, will be aiming for her seventh winner's medal should she participate.