“This is what you ask for as a cricketer; 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.”—New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum after his team lost the final.

STAT OF THE DAY

37 — Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin’s age (37 years, 157 days), making him the oldest Australia player to feature in a World Cup final. The previous oldest Australian was paceman Glenn McGrath (37 years, 78 days) when he played the 2007 final against Sri Lanka at Bridgetown. The oldest man to play in a World Cup final is West Indies batsman Rohan Kanhai (39 years, 177 days), in 1975 against Australia at Lord’s.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2015

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