MELBOURNE: New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori looks on studiously as his captain Brendon McCullum stands next to him.—AP

MELBOURNE: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said he had no regrets after his team were beaten by Australia in the World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Despite being bowled for a duck in the first over of the day then seeing his team beaten by seven wickets, a gracious McCullum said he was still proud of his team.

“It’s been one hell of a ride for us, right the way through, we played some outstanding cricket,” he said at the presentation. “We ran into an outstanding team in Australia, they continue to set the standard... they deserved to win.

“It probably didn’t unfold as planned, but we got ourselves back in the game at 3 for 150,” McCullum said. “With 180, you still dare to dream and it could have ended up differently with a couple of things going our way.”

For New Zealand, the tournament was still a great success. They had never played in a World Cup final before, reaching the semi-finals six times but losing on each occasion, and were unbeaten going into the final.

“This is what you ask for as a cricketer,” McCullum said. “We’ve forged memories and friendships that will last forever. We didn’t lift the trophy but we have no regrets with the brand of cricket we’ve played.

“We walk away with our heads held high. It’s the greatest time of our lives and that’s how we tried to play the game, with a free spirit and heart. I think we can be very proud of our achievements in this tournament.”

Meanwhile, some New Zealand players may have decided to call time on their one-day or international careers but there will be no immediate announcements to allow Australia to bask in their World Cup triumph, McCullum said.

Spin bowling all-rounder Daniel Vettori, 36, is widely expected to call time on his international career after his fourth World Cup, while there have even been rumours McCullum might follow Clarke’s lead and quit the 50-over format.

“There may be some players in our group who have decided to retire,” McCullum told reporters. “We’ll let the dust settle on this one and we certainly won’t try and grab any headlines over the next couple of days because they belong to Australia and they’ve earned the right to them.

“We’ll be gracious in defeat and then we’ll work a plan for those who may want to retire but I think it’s the right thing to let Australia bask in the glory of their success.”

Whatever retirements might be on the cards, McCullum said he hoped the New Zealand team would maintain the aggressive style of play with which they lit up the World Cup.

“I think the team perhaps will change over the next sort of while,” he added.

“But hopefully the style of cricket and the things that we’ve been able to implement with this team and the brand that we’re trying to play will remain and develop over the next sort of while.

“Hopefully that will then filter down to some of our domestic cricket, as well, and we’ll see some youngsters start to play the game and try and play it the same way that we’ve tried to operate through this World Cup.”

McCullum enjoys a close friendship with his opposite number Michael Clarke and said his fellow 33-year-old deserved to go out as a winner.

“Michael Clarke has been an outstanding cricketer for Australia, I think his captaincy has been brilliant throughout his tenure,” he added. “He deserves to bow out a World Cup winner, sometimes there is some romance in this game. I think that was one of those occasions tonight.”

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2015

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