New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Former South Africa cricketer Paul Adams believes the Proteas’ painful history of near-misses in previous global tournaments will fuel their quest for glory when they face hosts India in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
A new name will be engraved on the silverware on Sunday – and whether it be India or South Africa, it will mark a seismic moment in the history of women’s cricket. South Africa have been runners-up in 2023 and 2024 Women’s T20 World Cups, and winning the silverware on Sunday would give the country its second title after Temba Bavuma & Co won the ICC World Test Championship at Lord’s in June.
“For South Africa, it’s massive, after beating England in the semi-final, especially in the opening game, where South Africa was really defeated convincingly. South Africa has managed to really turn around their campaign with some match-winning performances from some senior players.”
“But at all different times, in the round-robin stages, like Nadine de Klerk was pivotal to their success. This time, Laura Wolvaardt has just come good. Marizanne Kapp is coming good – she’s taken a five-wicket haul in that semi-final. Marizanne Kapp is one of the best in the world for many years, and she’s waiting for this elusive World Cup victory.”
“She will be doing all her powers and everything she can to do it. I was actually very privileged to be part of that T20 World Cup final last year. You could see the emotion when we’ve lost, and the pain and the hurt. I think they’ll recall all those moments of disappointment to really put fire in the belly and really give it their all,” Adams told IANS in an exclusive conversation on the eve of the summit clash.
Adams served as spin bowling coach during South Africa’s runners-up finish at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai, and he explained how the side could draw strengths from previous heartbreaks to win the trophy.
“It’s important for them to draw from those experiences. You learn lots of lessons, how to deal with pressure, and how you actually react to pressure. So that’s the important thing – to have an awareness of how you actually reacted and how you can do things better.”
“So drawing on the experience of all those moments is very important in this competition. South Africa played against India in the round-robin and had success. So there’s a lot of positivity around it and there won’t be any real doubts.”
“They’ve shown that they’ve got the belief and can beat a powerhouse like India. We’ve always been there and about and it’s maybe their time and moment now. They’ve been consistently performing at World Cups. Sometimes it just takes that moment to turn it around,” he said.
South Africa come into the title clash with an emphatic 125-run win over England in the semi-final, whereas India have a shorter turnaround to calm themselves after a spell-binding victory over Australia. Adams opined that managing emotions and ensuring proper rest would be critical for the Proteas ahead of the high-intensity final.
“We’ve had an extra day of rest compared to India as well. So rest is very important. How you rest, how you recover, and making sure your batteries are recharged going into an emotional game. It’s going to be lots of emotion. Some of the team’s families are flying in to come and support. There’ll be messages coming from South Africa into the squad.”
“Everyone on social media will be sending their wishes and the team will be really active in that sense. But they’ve got to absorb and embrace it, and really just enjoy those moments and understand what they’re playing for. So when the moment gets tough there, dig deep in knowing that everyone is there and we’re here to support and really give you the push over the line,” he said.
South Africa will be tasked with the challenge of not only playing against a sell-out crowd supporting India, but also adapting to the conditions in Navi Mumbai, where they haven’t played a game yet in this World Cup.
India, on the other hand, will turn up there for their fourth game in a row and are yet to be beaten there. On the daunting prospect of facing a capacity crowd at DY Patil Stadium, Adams advocated embracing the atmosphere rather than fearing it.
“Yes, the Indian crowd will be a 12th man for India. That always does play a role. The amount of noise, and energy that goes around the game – I’m always one to advise that actually just embrace it. Just enjoy it – these are the moments. This is why we actually play on the international stage, and this is the key thing.”
“It’s not to fear it and doubt yourself. Just go out there and really just back yourself and make sure you are ready to play in a World Cup final. It’s big for both South African cricket and Indian cricket as well. So, would there be more pressure on India than South Africa as the host nation? That is a big question as well.”
“Yes, it’s a big, different level for India as not many host nations have won World Cups because it’s due to that pressure. Every moment, every day they walk in the street, and it’s there. You can learn a lot from watching and observing those key moments of past games of host nations, and how they go about it. But it’s just when it’s in your country, you feel sometimes you go too much. You’re a little bit emotional and too high on the day. So, it’s about controlling all those moments,” he said.
He signed off by saying what a World Cup triumph would mean for women’s cricket in South Africa and what it would mean for the global game. “Our women’s team are our heroes here within South Africa. They are held at the highest esteem and the performances they’re showing at the world stage show that if you have belief, passion and you really just put your head to it, you can achieve anything. So, they’re inspiring a lot of people.”
“I don’t think its just in South Africa – this team inspires a lot of people around the world in how they’ve been going about their game. They always come in as underdogs, when they get to World Cups and get right up to close. So, everyone is hoping and wanting for them to win.”
“There are some ladies there who have come from hard and tough backgrounds and have worked their way through and showed that they can achieve great things. They’ll inspire another generation of players to come. So, for us, it’s key that we really support them, whether they win or lose. In our eyes, they have achieved a big thing.”
“Women’s cricket can only grow from strength to strength out there. When it comes to just the world game, seeing a new world champion going to be crowned on Sunday, it just shows the growth of the game and that it’s not just dominated in certain regions. We can certainly see this growth in women’s cricket when various leagues are popping up around the world.”
“The amount of interest that is shown in women’s cricket is growing tremendously. It shows that it can be an exciting brand. It’s creating heroes, and players that can really look to dominate in various parts of the world. So, I’m really excited for this match on Sunday. It’s a big occasion for world cricket and the women’s game,” he concluded.
–IANS
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