Watch: Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana's 'Pest Control' Act Leaves Commentators in Stitches
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana sprayed an insect repellent in the air during the Women's World Cup 2025 match against India.
Pakistan women's team captain Fatima Sana left fans and commentators in splits with her 'pest control' act in the Women's World Cup 2025 match against India on Sunday. Fatima used the pest spray on the pitch after the game had to be halted for a few minutes due to excessive bugs and pests. The incident occurred when a swarm of flies disrupted play, causing huge discomfort to players from both sides at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The organisers decided to do an impromptu pest control at the venue.
At first, substitute fielder Eymaan Fatima tried spraying the insect repellent on a teammate's cap, but it didn't help. Fatima Sana then stepped up, took the spray bottle into her own hands, and used it near the 22-yard pitch. Neither of the two efforts helped, forcing the umpires to stop play and get an expert team on the ground.
Fatima Sana spraying on the ground because of a smell from an Indian woman's team pic.twitter.com/UBULLdHkh4
— Babar king (@BabarAking56) October 5, 2025
The commentators were in splits to see what was happening on the field. A pest control team then sprayed the field to make conditions suitable for the players to continue.
At the start of the match, Sana and India captain Harmanpreet Kaur didn't shake hands during the toss, and the teams walked off without exchanging customary handshakes after the match, amid political tensions between the South Asian neighbours.
The India and Pakistan captains, at the recent men's Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, also didn't shake hands in three matches between the arch-rivals.
As for the match, India secured an emphatic 88-run win over Pakistan that took them to the top of the table in the eight-nation tournament, while Pakistan remain in sixth place and are yet to open their account.
India will next face South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on October 9, followed by a high-stakes clash against the defending champions, Australia, at the same venue on October 12.
India Women
Pakistan Women