Hero in defeat: How Kane Williamson kept his calm even after a heartbreak
The 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s turned out to be a thriller that no one could have anticipated. Both the finalists remained unseparated after 50 overs which led to the first-ever Super Over in ODI cricket. To everyone’s astonishment, even the Super Over ended as a tie. Finally, it was England who won the trophy on boundary count. But it was a certain Kane Williamson who won everyone’s hearts with his demeanour.
The New Zealand skipper was gallant in defeat. Despite there being plenty of controversies to talk about, he focussed on the final result and accepted the runners-up spot without hesitation. His tally of 578 runs and his leadership throughout the campaign earned him the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
The #CWC19 Player of the Tournament – Kane Williamson ?
What a @cricketworldcup the New Zealand skipper had ? pic.twitter.com/NDIHvo6i4c
— ICC (@ICC) July 14, 2020
The losing skipper reflected on the epic final in the post-match conference. When asked whether the boundary countback rule was a fair way of deciding the champion, Williamson cheekily replied,
“I suppose you never thought you would have to ask that question and I never thought I would have to answer it.”
Reflecting on the loss
Speaking about the team’s mood after the cruel defeat, the captain said,
“There’s a lot of disappointment, the guys are really feeling it. We know in this game it can be fickle in its nature and as hard as you try, sometimes those cards don’t fall your way and today it ebbed and flowed. But the guys stuck with it beautifully well and they showed that heart and that fight that we have shown throughout this whole campaign.”
There was an unfortunate moment in the game for New Zealand, where a direct throw was deflected off Ben Stokes’ bat and it ended up crossing the boundary ropes. Williamson acknowledged the incident by saying,
“It was a pretty tough pill to swallow when we were looking pretty likely with Trent bowling really, really well, so one of those things.”
To cap off the unforgettable night, Williamson reflected on the final –
“It was a brilliant game of cricket. Always a little bit bitter when you are not on the right side of the result.”
When asked if other captains should emulate his calm demeanour, Williamson replied with a simple ‘just be yourself and try to enjoy what you do’.
He walked off amidst thunderous applause from the media community.
