NAVI MUMBAI: February 13, 2023. New Zealand captain Sophie Devine walked into the press conference room at the Boland Park in Paarl after the hammering they received at the hands of South Africa in the T20 World Cup. Chasing 133, New Zealand were bundled out for 67, and with that, all but getting knocked out of the tournament in their very second game.
A visibly fuming Devine reflected on the performance without any inhibitions. She called it an "embarrassment" and “ not good enough for an international cricket side” before eventually breaking down when asked if she was feeling angry. “It's probably going to come out in tears if I'm honest, now you've set me off,” she said before taking the responsibility as the senior batter while throwing her weight behind the younger players.
"We haven't played to our potential and it's been upsetting and it's been embarrassing and disappointing but I'd give anything to play for this group and for the girls that are in that shed upstairs right now. Me getting angry isn't going to do anything about it. If anything I need to get around them and you know wrap my arm around them, particularly those youngsters. Jesus, I've got to put it into perspective, that's huge for them. Fran's (Jonas) what 19, Eden's (Carson) what 20 - 21. I didn't have a clue what I was doing at that sort of age. The fact that they are out there and we spoke about it after the Australian game; we never want to put them in that position and we did it again today," she said. Devine, who was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for approximately 1 million NZD in the first Women’s Premier League earlier in the day, went on to add how the timing of the auction was not ideal for every team in the World Cup.
Two years on, Devine once again walked into another press conference in a very similar situation. This time, after losing to India and getting knocked out of the 2025 ODI World Cup in Navi Mumbai. The loss meant Devine would finish her much-revered 19-year-long ODI career against England in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Asked how she continues to front up and take ownership time and again for White Ferns and the country, the first words out of Devine were: “I don’t know.”
She said, “I think the really important thing for me is to be authentic, and not just for me or my group, but for you guys as well,” before adding how athletes at the end of the day are also human beings. “This right now is a bloody tough thing for me to have to do. But I also want to front up and still be really proud of what this group's been able to achieve. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; it sucks. Losing press conferences are probably the hardest ones to do, especially when you've been knocked out of a tournament. At the end of the day, there aren't too many positive words I could probably say about it, unfortunately,” she would say.
The 36-year-old has been a generational leader for Aotearoa, playing five ODI WCs, including a final in 2009, and nine T20 World Cups, leading the country to its first global title since 2000. She has 4279 runs (third highest for NZ behind Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite) and 111 wickets (second behind Lea Tahuhu) in the 50-over format. Devine, in her early years, has also represented Black Sticks Women in the 2009 Junior Hockey World Cup and the 2012 Champions Trophy. A torchbearer and legend in her own right, Devine was awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for her services to cricket earlier this year. She will go down as one of the all-time greats of cricket and the New Zealand sporting fraternity for the sheer weight of her on-field achievements.
However, the two aforementioned press conferences — and countless others — reiterate what makes Devine special. That there is more to her than her sporting accolades. One of the most competitive athletes in the world, Devine is fierce on the field, constantly striving to lead from the front and be an example for not just her teammates and New Zealanders but all over the world. In her own words, she’s “authentic” and one of the few cricketers whose press conferences are ones to look forward to. With Devine, when asked a question, no matter what the subject, one could always get a direct answer that is not just nuanced but also looks at the big picture. And she does so, looking in the eye of the person who asks without blinking twice.
As she grew as a cricketer and leader, Devine became much more open about her emotions and did not shy away from being vulnerable in public. She has consistently reminded the world that “behind the keyboard, behind the helmet and the bat and the pads, there's a person there, too,” while being at the front and centre of prioritising mental health.
In April 2021, Devine missed out on the second T20I against Australia, and it went on to become an extended mental health sabbatical. Having been in multiple COVID-19 bubbles since September 2020, it all caught up to her. She felt she could not do the job and live up to the role in terms of what she expects of herself.
When she came back in June, Devine reiterated the significance of conversing about mental health in public. "I can share my stories with others to know it's okay to be able to step away. It's not just athletes, it's everyone. We need to create that space for people to be able to talk about mental health,” she had said at the time.
"I think we know that we're professional athletes, and we're going to get a high level of scrutiny, and I don't want to shy away from that. It's what you expect as a professional athlete. It's just remembering, behind the keyboard, behind the helmet and the bat and the pads, there's a person there too," she added. Devine paved the way for someone like Melie Kerr to take a mental health break later that same year before coming back for the 2022 home World Cup.
Having been the reason behind why some of her teammates took up the sport, Devine set the standards for being goofy off the field, too. She would tear off the leather with her powerful hits when in the middle and imitate a Star Wars Jedi with a mosquito bat in the dressing room off it. Along with the best mates of her generation — Suzie Bates, Lea Tahuhu, Katey Martin, Amy Satterthwaite and Frances Mackay — she created a team environment and culture that made the younger players feel safe in the dressing room.
“She wears her heart on her sleeve. She cares so much and she competes as well, which is all you can really ask for as a captain,” Jess Kerr told this daily. “I think she's really strived for all of us to work really hard, both with our cricket and our fitness as well. And then off the field, she's also just extremely funny. She always has us laughing and brings that fun side to cricket, which is really cool. It doesn't have to be serious all the time. And then, that culture she brings too. She's just done so much for this team because of the care she has,” the pacer added.
The same care was evident on Sunday as well, even though New Zealand lost to England by eight wickets and finished sixth in the table. When Devine walked out to bat, England were set to give a guard of honour, but she declined it. The 36-year-old would find it “weird” considering she is still playing the T20 format.
However, as Amy Jones hit Devine through the covers to take England home, the inevitable guard of honour came as Devine walked off the field with both teams standing on either side. “I would have just liked to have gone under the radar and gone about my business like any other day. But I've got so much respect and admiration for the people, England for wanting to do that. I guess they trapped me a little bit there at the end. I didn't have time; there were too many options. But again, it's just so cool to be able to share that not only with my teammates but also the English as well,” Devine said with a smile in the post-match press conference.
New Zealand would have liked to finish the tournament with the trophy in hand — as they did in 2024 — and give Devine a fitting farewell from the format. However, much like their captain has said so many times over the years, including twice this week, “no one deserves anything. Not just in cricket, but in life.” Teams, players, and the sport move on from individuals, if not immediately, then gradually. But the legacy and the influence Devine has had in New Zealand sport will last through the test of time. For there is no one like Sophie Devine, and there will never be.
