Fate hasn’t been kind to Kane Williamson this year, as he walked in to sit at another press conference after his team lost the 2023 World Cup semifinal to hosts India at the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai.
Williamson has become the embodiment of resilience; his composure has been a testament to his character and leadership. This year’s World Cup added yet another chapter to his tale of perseverance. The New Zealand captain has not only had to navigate his team through the vagaries of international cricket but also grapple with personal setbacks. Williamson’s string of unfortunate events began with a muscle tear that saw him miss out on the IPL and part of the World Cup. This was followed by a broken thumb from a freak throw during his return match, sidelining him once again. Yet, Williamson managed to return to lead the Kiwis into another high-pressure scenario, only to collide with a formidable Indian side in the semifinal.
Respect was the underlying theme of Williamson’s address when he spoke of India’s performance. “India are playing seriously good cricket, they’re a class side, and to come out in a semifinal and to repeat what they’ve been doing this competition shows where they are as a team,” said Williamson, admiring the host team’s prowess. Interrupted briefly by a request for phones to be switched off, Williamson continued, “They certainly put us under a lot of pressure in the first half. It was tough, there wasn’t much in the surface for us and we were trying to defend large parts of that, so credit to the way they played.”
Despite the defeat, Williamson found reasons to be proud. The Kiwis had previously come tantalizingly close to chasing down a mammoth target of 389 against Australia, only to fall just short. Reflecting on their effort in the semifinal, Williamson said, “In the second half, I’m proud of the fight really, it was tough – a lot of movement with the new ball, so to give ourselves a bit of a sniff although a lot of things had to go our way.” New Zealand’s captain acknowledged that the ‘rub of the green’ wasn’t in their favor that evening. “Reflecting on seven weeks of cricket, as a side we can be quite proud of the effort that’s gone into getting to where we are and it just didn’t quite happen for us today.”
Amidst a social media storm around the pitch conditions, Williamson defended the groundsmen, conceding that the pitch was not to blame for their loss. “It was a used wicket, but a pretty good surface as we saw, they certainly got plenty out of it in the first half,” he explained. Deflecting further criticism, he added, “I guess conditions change as they go under lights and that’s what we expect, and they played really well, and we lost to a better side.”
The New Zealand skipper did not hold back in his admiration for Virat Kohli, whose monumental 50th ODI century helped steer India to victory. Williamson found himself at a loss for words, marveling at Kohli’s milestone, “I mean that’s something quite special. If you play fifty games, some people would call that a great career. To get 50 hundreds, trying to find the words to describe it… It’s not just that, it’s the way he goes about it, about winning games for his team.”
In the face of defeat, Williamson faced questions about what he might have done differently. However, his focus remained on recognizing the strengths of an outstanding opposition. “I suppose we’ll sit down and talk about it a little bit, since we move on quite quickly to another series,” he commented. “Sometimes, you have to tip your cap to a team that plays well, they were outstanding. As a team you’re always trying to do better, do your homework, train hard, come up with different options, but when you have a team like India at the top of their game, sometimes that’s not enough resistance.”
His posture at the press conference, the quiet dignity with which he congratulated his rivals, spoke volumes of Kane Williamson, the player, and the leader. As the Black Caps turn their eyes to future challenges, they carry with them the spirit of cricket exemplified by their respected captain.