NAVI MUMBAI: The New Zealand women’s team captain Sophie Devine ‘s emotional press conference after their early exit from the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup following a 55-run defeat (via the DLS method) to India at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday night reminded you of a similarly emotional presser addressed by their men’s team captain Kane Williamson at Lords ’ after the Kiwis lost the 2019 World Cup final to England due to the weird boundary countback rule after the match was tied and two Super Overs finished equally as well.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
You got a sense of how heartbroken Devine was when, perhaps playing in her last ICC tournament in this format, the 36-year-old stalwart of New Zealand women’s cricket almost teared up while confessing, "I thought I was going to get through this press conference without crying."
New Zealand had every right to feel disappointed at the end of a campaign which was marred by three crushing defeats and frustrating weather disruptions, which saw two of their matches - against Sri Lanka and Pakistan - washed out, costing them invaluable points.
Summing up the understandable dejection in her camp, a gutted Devine said, "It's tough, isn't it? Because I know I've spoken about [how] the weather's followed us, jokes have been made about it. At the end of the day, you just want the opportunity to play cricket. We had fate in our hands. We lost the first two games, put ourselves under pressure. We lost today. So, it's hard to reflect when nearly half your games have had weather impacted by it. But we haven't been good enough. And that's really tough because the work that this group's put in over the last 12 months has been phenomenal," the 36-year-old said.
"That's what sucks about sports sometimes, is you can work harder than anyone in the world, you can do all the right things, but it doesn't guarantee your results out there when it matters. So that's probably going to be the hardest pill to swallow about this campaign. I'm not sure what else we could have done as a group to be better prepared, to be fitter, to be more connected, I don't know. But we've got to dissect it and figure out where we went wrong and where we can improve, which, yeah, it sucks. Unfortunately, there's not many other ways to describe it. The work that this group's put in - no one deserves anything, not just in cricket, but in life - but sometimes you wish that the good guys got the results. But, (it was) not to be this time."
While she was pained by the early exit, Devine spoke with pride about the youngsters coming through in her team.
"I don't really want to think too much about it because I probably get quite emotional around it," Devine said. "But the way those girls went out there today… I'm incredibly proud of where this team's going. When you think about the likes of Izzy [Gaze], Brooke [Halliday], Melie Kerr , Eden Carson, the way that they're starting to really grow into themselves, it certainly makes it easier when I step away after the next game, not before.
"It is sort of [you feel] a bit like a proud mother, you have been involved in this side at New Zealand cricket for so long that you're so invested. I'm going to go through a few different emotions over the next couple of days, but we'll take time to reflect on that."
Apart from grappling with the heartbreak of a league stage exit in the World Cup, Devine pointed out the challenges facing women's cricket in New Zealand - from limited supply-chain to competition from other sports - factors that she felt India, with it's massive population and the level of popularity of cricket - doesn't have to deal with.
"I am really excited and it's taken a lot of time. That's something that we've got to be realistic about, is these things don't happen overnight. We're not like India; we don't have 1 billion people to be able to call upon. We're literally a small country at the bottom of the world with 5 million people. And unfortunately, cricket isn't at the moment the number one sport. So, we're always going to be fighting for the attention of youngsters coming through," the White Ferns captain said.
"That's what's really exciting as a selling point to any youngsters in New Zealand at the moment. And that's not just girls; it's boys as well. It's that the opportunities that cricket presents to you should be really attractive. We're starting to see it now as the depth is starting to grow and it's going to be a continual process. Just because we've brought a few young players through doesn't mean it's job done. So, there's still lots of work to do in terms of our domestic structure, in terms of our contracting system providing opportunities.
"It's not just about the money. You can't just throw money at players and expect them to get better. It's the resources, it's the structure, it's the pathways leading into the White Ferns because you can pay the top 15 - 20 players however much you want to, it doesn't mean that they're going to be good cricketers and what happens when they all leave. So, yeah, I think that's the really exciting thing, but it's also the most challenging thing. How do you build that? And every country is different. As I just said, you guys have got a billion people here and how you work your domestic systems and structure is going to be very, very different to how we do it back in New Zealand. I'm really excited about where the future of the women's game goes. The support, the attention that it's had over here is really exciting and I think India can be at the forefront of where the women's game can go."
Before they pack their bags for the long return trip, New Zealand have to lift themselves from this sadness and look to salvage some pride against South Africa in Vizag on Sunday in a day game, with Devine captaining them one last time. "We'll pull ourselves up, we'll dust ourselves off and we'll go bloody hard at these English people and give them a good run for their money. And hopefully we like everything out there on Sunday and we can leave with our heads held really high," said the veteran allrounder.
It will also be Devine's last ODI appearance for New Zealand. It means that the White Ferns will have a new captain in charge. Devine, who led New Zealand for five years, quit T20I captaincy after leading her side to the World Cup title last year, although she is continuing as a player in the shortest format. In her five-years in-charge, Devine experienced some incredible highs and equally deflating lows. She also delved into the emotional journey of leading a team at the highest level.
"The really important thing for me is to be authentic, and not just for me or my group, but for you guys as well. Sometimes people forget that we're human beings and that we do have emotions. We're not just robots out there that go and play and don't have feelings and we don't feel the criticism and we don't feel the hurt. The words that are said about us, expectations. At the end of the day, we all go back, we all sleep in a bed, we all have families to go back to. So, sometimes it's really important to remember that we're human beings and sometimes words can hurt.
"But we've also got to own up to it. It's the profession we're in. It's a job. And unfortunately, this right now is a bloody tough thing for me to have to do. But I also want to front up and, yeah still be really proud of what this group's been able to achieve. But it does - I'm not going to sugarcoat it - it sucks. Losing press conferences are probably the hardest ones to do, especially when you've been knocked out of a tournament."
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
You got a sense of how heartbroken Devine was when, perhaps playing in her last ICC tournament in this format, the 36-year-old stalwart of New Zealand women’s cricket almost teared up while confessing, "I thought I was going to get through this press conference without crying."
New Zealand had every right to feel disappointed at the end of a campaign which was marred by three crushing defeats and frustrating weather disruptions, which saw two of their matches - against Sri Lanka and Pakistan - washed out, costing them invaluable points.
Summing up the understandable dejection in her camp, a gutted Devine said, "It's tough, isn't it? Because I know I've spoken about [how] the weather's followed us, jokes have been made about it. At the end of the day, you just want the opportunity to play cricket. We had fate in our hands. We lost the first two games, put ourselves under pressure. We lost today. So, it's hard to reflect when nearly half your games have had weather impacted by it. But we haven't been good enough. And that's really tough because the work that this group's put in over the last 12 months has been phenomenal," the 36-year-old said.
"That's what sucks about sports sometimes, is you can work harder than anyone in the world, you can do all the right things, but it doesn't guarantee your results out there when it matters. So that's probably going to be the hardest pill to swallow about this campaign. I'm not sure what else we could have done as a group to be better prepared, to be fitter, to be more connected, I don't know. But we've got to dissect it and figure out where we went wrong and where we can improve, which, yeah, it sucks. Unfortunately, there's not many other ways to describe it. The work that this group's put in - no one deserves anything, not just in cricket, but in life - but sometimes you wish that the good guys got the results. But, (it was) not to be this time."
While she was pained by the early exit, Devine spoke with pride about the youngsters coming through in her team.
"I don't really want to think too much about it because I probably get quite emotional around it," Devine said. "But the way those girls went out there today… I'm incredibly proud of where this team's going. When you think about the likes of Izzy [Gaze], Brooke [Halliday], Melie Kerr , Eden Carson, the way that they're starting to really grow into themselves, it certainly makes it easier when I step away after the next game, not before.
"It is sort of [you feel] a bit like a proud mother, you have been involved in this side at New Zealand cricket for so long that you're so invested. I'm going to go through a few different emotions over the next couple of days, but we'll take time to reflect on that."
Apart from grappling with the heartbreak of a league stage exit in the World Cup, Devine pointed out the challenges facing women's cricket in New Zealand - from limited supply-chain to competition from other sports - factors that she felt India, with it's massive population and the level of popularity of cricket - doesn't have to deal with.
"I am really excited and it's taken a lot of time. That's something that we've got to be realistic about, is these things don't happen overnight. We're not like India; we don't have 1 billion people to be able to call upon. We're literally a small country at the bottom of the world with 5 million people. And unfortunately, cricket isn't at the moment the number one sport. So, we're always going to be fighting for the attention of youngsters coming through," the White Ferns captain said.
"That's what's really exciting as a selling point to any youngsters in New Zealand at the moment. And that's not just girls; it's boys as well. It's that the opportunities that cricket presents to you should be really attractive. We're starting to see it now as the depth is starting to grow and it's going to be a continual process. Just because we've brought a few young players through doesn't mean it's job done. So, there's still lots of work to do in terms of our domestic structure, in terms of our contracting system providing opportunities.
"It's not just about the money. You can't just throw money at players and expect them to get better. It's the resources, it's the structure, it's the pathways leading into the White Ferns because you can pay the top 15 - 20 players however much you want to, it doesn't mean that they're going to be good cricketers and what happens when they all leave. So, yeah, I think that's the really exciting thing, but it's also the most challenging thing. How do you build that? And every country is different. As I just said, you guys have got a billion people here and how you work your domestic systems and structure is going to be very, very different to how we do it back in New Zealand. I'm really excited about where the future of the women's game goes. The support, the attention that it's had over here is really exciting and I think India can be at the forefront of where the women's game can go."
Before they pack their bags for the long return trip, New Zealand have to lift themselves from this sadness and look to salvage some pride against South Africa in Vizag on Sunday in a day game, with Devine captaining them one last time. "We'll pull ourselves up, we'll dust ourselves off and we'll go bloody hard at these English people and give them a good run for their money. And hopefully we like everything out there on Sunday and we can leave with our heads held really high," said the veteran allrounder.
It will also be Devine's last ODI appearance for New Zealand. It means that the White Ferns will have a new captain in charge. Devine, who led New Zealand for five years, quit T20I captaincy after leading her side to the World Cup title last year, although she is continuing as a player in the shortest format. In her five-years in-charge, Devine experienced some incredible highs and equally deflating lows. She also delved into the emotional journey of leading a team at the highest level.
"The really important thing for me is to be authentic, and not just for me or my group, but for you guys as well. Sometimes people forget that we're human beings and that we do have emotions. We're not just robots out there that go and play and don't have feelings and we don't feel the criticism and we don't feel the hurt. The words that are said about us, expectations. At the end of the day, we all go back, we all sleep in a bed, we all have families to go back to. So, sometimes it's really important to remember that we're human beings and sometimes words can hurt.
"But we've also got to own up to it. It's the profession we're in. It's a job. And unfortunately, this right now is a bloody tough thing for me to have to do. But I also want to front up and, yeah still be really proud of what this group's been able to achieve. But it does - I'm not going to sugarcoat it - it sucks. Losing press conferences are probably the hardest ones to do, especially when you've been knocked out of a tournament."
You may also like
Kajol, R Madhavan, Karan Johar & others grieve over the loss of Satish Shah
AAP challenges Delhi CM to drink Yamuna water, accuses BJP of misleading Purvanchalis
Meeting with Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un: Trump's Asia tour puts trade tariffs in focus - what's on the cards
PM Modi to attend flag-hoisting ceremony at Ram Temple on Nov 25, religious event a kind of announcement to the devotees: Nripendra Mishra
Suvendu Adhikari claims Trinamool's goal is to divide non-Muslim votes
