India wanted to win the Women’s World Cup more than South Africa who will give it a “good go” in the next edition, said head coach Mandla Mashimbyi after their loss in the summit clash.
South Africa, who made their third consecutive final in ICC women’s events and first time in ODIs, lost to India by 52 runs in a contest where they were well placed in a chase of 299 with skipper Laura Wolvaardt (101) leading the charge.
“The way India played the game, they came out (hard) in the first 10 overs. We pegged them back in the last 40 overs. There was a time we were expecting them to score 350, 360. For them to not get to 300 was really a good effort from our bowlers,” Mashimbyi told the media after the match on Sunday.
“(But) the way they (India) went about their business with the ball, the way they changed their bowlers gave them the edge because we couldn’t get some rhythm as a batting unit.” “They kept on taking wickets at crucial stages. But they wanted it on the day, I think, they wanted it more than us and yeah, kudos to them. Well done. They deserve it to win a World Cup at home. We wouldn’t want that,” he said.
Mashimbyi hoped South Africa will come back stronger in the next edition having managed some commanding victories, including one over hosts India in the league stage.
“To see how the team has progressed from the time I took over, it’s obviously a humbling experience for me. But at the same time, I’m sitting here and I’m actually kind of excited because when nobody gave us a chance, we gave ourselves a chance,” he said.
“You look at the team and see where you need to improve, and I know what to do going forward and make sure that we leave no stone unturned.” A respected figure in South African cricket circles for his work across teams from both genders, Mashimbyi also provided some insights into his coaching philosophy.
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“Well, my name firstly is Mandla Mashimbyi and they’ve got different names,” he replied when asked what separated him from other coaches.
“I just bring a different vibe into the changing. My coaching style is unconventional in terms of me focusing on the person before the cricketer. So more love, care, because the environment for me is much more important than playing cricket itself.” “When people are happy in an environment, they’re able to do what these girls have done throughout this whole tournament and the proof is in the pudding with regards to that, in terms of the performances that the girls have put on,” he added.
Mashimbyi said it is about managing emotions of the players when it comes to coaching the women’s team.
“There’s a lot of differentiation around that fact (coaching men’s and women’s sides). Cricket is cricket, whether you’re coaching women or men. The language that I use with the boys, I’m using with the girls,” he said.
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“But maybe you can speak to the fact that maybe the women are a little bit more emotional and it’s about getting those emotions channeled in the right way, and then once you get that right, then you’re getting a complete cricketer,” he said.
Mashimbyi said irrespective of South Africa’s loss in the final, their campaign is bound to inspire the coming generation of players.
“It has inspired a lot of people back home. We had 60 million people supporting us. They were really happy for us because we’ve done something that has never been done before,” he said.
“People are going to look at cricket differently now. In the world stage, where you go into what they did, in the manner in which they did it, a lot of girls will be inspired to make cricket their career going forward as well,” Mashimbyi added.
