In a massive blunder unbecoming of the level of a World Cup, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana got to choose fielding-first against India despite losing the toss of the group-stage clash in Colombo on Sunday.
With India being the official hosts of the tournament, captain Harmanpreet Kaur flicked the coin, and Sana called 'Heads', but match referee Shandre Fritz seemed to mishear it and say, 'Tails is the call'. The broadcaster's host, former Australian cricketer Mel Jones, also followed Fritz's lead.
The coin landed on tails, and Fritz awarded it to Pakistan, not realising Harmanpreet had won the toss. The two captains either didn't realise it or were caught by surprise in the moment, which happened in a matter of seconds, and proceeded without saying anything, and Sana was called up to speak by Jones.
"We're going to bowl first," Sana said. "Looks like there could be some moisture on the wicket. One change for us - Sadaf Shamas replaces Omaima Sohail - our confidence is great, hopefully we'll play better today. Anything under 250 could be a good chase," she added.
Harmanpreet spoke next and said, "We played a good series here before the WC. We're thinking positively and are looking to do well. One unfortunate change - Amanjot isn't playing. She's unwell, so Renuka Thakur replaces her. We've gelled well as a team and are looking forward to today's contest."
Toss is unpredictable for both teams and is almost entirely based on luck. Still, the importance of it being awarded correctly is profound. Especially in tournaments in India, the toss can play a major role, as some grounds clearly favor either batting first or chasing due to weather and pitch conditions.
If India lose this match, Harmanpreet and Co. might feel hard done by the referee and the presenter's rare error, for they had to bat first when they might have wanted to field, too, with no fault of their own.