Women’s T20 World Cup Diary: White Ferns conquer the desert, diaspora feels WC exit pinch

The way New Zealand team turned around a challenging year was perhaps the best souvenir the Diary could take back home after three testing weeks in Dubai.

Winner takes all: Sophie Devine (centre) with Lea Tahuhu and Suzie Bates. | Photo Credit: AP

Cricket brings the subcontinent together like nothing else. In Dubai, India’s win against Pakistan in the Women’s T20 World Cup suddenly became a magical icebreaker of sorts.

On the night of that game, the Diary stepped into the lift after a long day of some honestly frustrating cricket, hoping to scurry up and get some shut eye. Two others, Pakistani nationals, in the elevator took one look at the Diary’s media accreditation and said, “Oh, you guys beat us! You must be happy.  Ab jeet lo World Cup, isse kum nahin (Win the World Cup now, nothing less).”

Even taxi drivers were intrigued by the World Cup and a chance for India to win it. Towards the end of the group stage, Bangladesh was long out of contention, as was Sri Lanka. When New Zealand snuck through, the Diary’s taxi driver the next morning — a young gentleman from Bangladesh — was disappointed.

“Someone should be there from Asia. What’s the point of saying we’re cricket nations?” he asked.

An ecstatic Sophie Devine was happy to oblige reporters with a photograph featuring the trophy, but was cheered into enjoying her moment | Photo Credit: Lavanya Lakshminarayanan

An acquaintance’s chauffeur, Khaliq — a Pakistani national from Rawalpindi making a living in the UAE — was determined to feed us well before we got home for a night of writing. Hot tadka dal, roti, chicken tikka masala, and some classic Arabian spicy shawarmas were savoured. But the standout was a Pakistani chai that Khaliq bhai assured would give me a taste of Pakistan. It was gulped down in under a minute.

A week of knockouts followed. New Zealand sent India packing while beating Pakistan. The West Indies knocked England out in the group stage. From a distraught Katherine Sciver-Brunt wincing and offering tips at every poor passage of play, to a casual and composed Ian Bishop on the other side, both ends of this match provided experiences to bookmark for posterity.

However, the biggest upset of the tournament, if it can be called that, was the smooth takedown of the defending champion and six-time T20 World Cup winner Australia, in the semifinal by Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa. Alyssa Healy, who had sustained serious injuries to her feet and was walking with crutches, could only watch in silence from the sidelines.

New Zealand was the underdog in the other semifinal against the extravagantly big-hitting West Indies. The team relied on the no-glam mantra of back-breaking hard work to hinder its opponent’s bid for a second world crown in the humidity of Sharjah.

Sitting beside the Diary was a colleague who had chosen to wear a black T-shirt with white fern leaves on it. Wearing that shirt had brought New Zealand luck in the matches against India and the West Indies, it felt. Naturally, plans were made to immediately wash it for the final.

The Diary and its colleagues had spent much of their time oscillating between the stadium, the ICC Academy (where teams trained and held media sessions), and their cosy Airbnb. With the semifinals out of the way, the panic of not being a good enough tourist set in. Plans were made with full vigour, but an interview would come through, or a press conference would be scheduled, washing the fun out of our calendars.

Quick Style in action during the ICC Hall of Fame dinner | Photo Credit: Neville Hopwood

The ICC’s Hall of Fame dinner was a way to make up for some of that. White wine, rosé, sushi, sweet chicken satay, and other finger foods made their way around the ballroom of the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City as Alastair Cook and Neetu David (above, fourth pic), along with AB de Villiers (not in attendance) were inducted.

Captains Sophie Devine and Laura Wolvaardt, who had a final to play in less than 24 hours, were involved as volunteers for an illusionist’s set.

Quick Style, a Norwegian hip-hop group that went viral for their choreography of the famous Bollywood number Kaala Chashma, enthralled with their moves.

Visiting the Burj Khalifa (albeit from the bottom) was also ticked off the list. A humid night in Dubai saw plenty of clouds hugging the top tiers of the tallest structure in the world. The Diary did not understand why the planners of this part of town would crowd the area around the Burj with tall buildings, taking away much of the charm of such an architectural feat.

The neighbourhood gave the Diary a crash course on the class system of taxis in Dubai. The modest-looking Careem taxis with yellow beam lights on top were not permitted to come down the runway to the popular fountain area and viewing deck. However, if you were an electric cab owner, with a Lexus or a Tesla, you could come straight through.

The Diary reconnected with an old college roommate who was building a career for herself in the city. From cooking Indian meals in the chilly university rooms in Birmingham to sharing a lavish Egyptian breakfast plate at a quaint Arabic café on Jumeirah Beach, along with several existential conversations about joy and the lack thereof in life, we had come a long way.

A Queen’s breakfast! | Photo Credit: Lavanya Lakshminarayanan

The next destination was Souk Madinat Jumeirah, where the Diary sourced a set of Sheikh salt and pepper shakers — which shall take pride of place in the souvenirs cupboard at home. The afternoon was enjoyed with a drive past some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the Burj Al Arab, the Atlantis, and the Palm Jumeirah.

A few hours later, nearly 22,000 people gathered at the Dubai International Stadium for the coronation of a new world champion. The Diary’s colleague in the press box was a happy soul. It seems the washed ‘good luck’ shirt for the White Ferns, which was draped over a seat, did the trick after all.

The team sang Māori songs and danced late into the night, barefoot on the pitch where they made history. Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Lea Tahuhu, and their young teammates turned around a challenging year with the one win that mattered the most.

Perhaps that’s the best souvenir we could take back home after three testing yet satisfying weeks of World Cup cricket in the desert.