Sune Luus of South Africa looks on as they are interviewed following the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final match between Australia and South Africa at Newlands Stadium on February 26, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

26 February - Cape Town - South Africa Captain Sune Luus post-match press conference

Sune Luus of South Africa looks on as they are interviewed following the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final match between Australia and South Africa at Newlands Stadium on February 26, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

[Reporter]

How do you weigh up the emotions at this time? I would imagine there's a lot of pride with what's been achieved, but also a lot of disappointment at the same time. How do you balance all of that right now?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, 100%. I think it's a bitter-sweet feeling, but personally, I'm just feeling extremely proud of each and every teammate of mine and management staff. I think we've done an incredible job to get to the final, and I think to put up a good fight against a team like Australia, yeah, just feel very, very proud.

[Reporter]

Can you describe your emotions as the day unfolded? How did you feel when it started and then through the game, and how do you feel now?

[Sune Luus]

I think you always think about a World Cup final and how it will feel like, but I was pretty chilled throughout the day. I think I still watched a couple of movies this morning, but no, I think, obviously, through waves, through excitement levels, a bit of nerves here and there, and obviously, thinking you have a chance while we were batting, that just gives you that extra bit of excitement, but I think, obviously, we would have loved to win the final, but I think for us to play in a final with a sell-out crowd, it was amazing.

[Reporter]

Just on the game itself, where did you pick up that thing turned? You were probably quite happy chasing 150-odd, but did you feel it was with the bats, or did you feel you gave away too many with the ball?

[Sune Luus]

No, I think it was quite a possible score on this wicket. I think we just, obviously, had a bit of a slow start and had to recover after that, and just lost crucial wickets here and there, but I think the girls did extremely well, so I'm not going to criticise them too much.

[Reporter]

No South African team, obviously, has been to this kind of game before, so what do you think it'll do for you and your players that now you know what it's about?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, I think, obviously, we got a sniff of how a final is, and the feelings and the nerves and everything, and I feel now we have a heartache of not winning a final, so I think, obviously, getting through that hurdle of the semi-final, I think next year's World Cup, when we get there again, it's not going to be a big thing for us anymore to break that curse or whatever. I think now it's just for us to really look at that final and say, OK, cool, how are we going to get through the final and be on the other side of that? I think this was a massive opportunity for our girls. I think they did extremely well, and I think, obviously, gave Australia a good run for their money. I think, obviously, there was a couple of nerves from their side as well, while Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon were batting, so I think, overall, obviously, not the result we wanted, but just positive feelings and feelings of excitement and proud.

[Reporter]

Can you just talk to me about the way you felt during Laura's inning specifically, the way she played? While she was batting with Chloe, obviously, there was a glimmer of hope, but her inning specifically, can you just talk me through that?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, no, I hope the IPL and the 100 and the Big Bash was watching. That was something very special. I think you want your players to step up at the big occasions, and I think that's exactly what she did. She's shown her class again today. I think it's just the age of 23, I'm not sure, but still very young. I think for her and for us as a team, it's very exciting to know that she's going to be here for the next 10 years, and so excited to be next to her and see her break all the records in the near future.

[Reporter]

You touched on it at the post-match. Just how much of the challenge is now at the door of Cricket South Africa to grow on the success in terms of club cricket, in terms of schools cricket, in terms of getting girls to play? Is it firmly at the door of Cricket South Africa now?

[Sune Luus]

I hope so. I think we've done our best to give the girls in the country the best possible chance. I don't think - obviously would have loved to win, but I don't think we could have given it a bigger shot and more of a chance. I think it's obviously up to CSA and the Minister of Sport and whoever's in charge of cricket in this country to obviously knock on doors and open those doors as well, and give women's cricket the best chance they could possibly have to keep up with an Australia, with England and with India.

[Reporter]

In terms of now getting over that hurdle and getting to the final, your team now has the expectation of a nation that every time you go to a tournament, this is what the benchmark is. How do the girls feel about that, that they've now set those type of levels going forward?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, we actually haven't spoken about it after the World Cup now, believe it or not. But we'll definitely have the conversation once we regroup, and maybe Friday or next week.

[Reporter]

First things first, what are the two movies you watched this morning?

[Sune Luus]

Taken, and started with Taken 2.

[Reporter]

In terms of the slow start, were there conversations following another slow start in the previous game as to what the approach should be like? Should it be on the side of circumspection or go all guns blazing regardless of what the total is? So, what would you hinge the slow start on really?

[Sune Luus]

No, I don't think obviously they had a slow start on purpose. I think they obviously tried their level best to get those fours and get those runs going. I think obviously just hitting a couple of fielders. Just bad luck Taz didn’t find the middle of the bat today, like she did in the previous game. But obviously, if we took the game away at the end, I think it would have been a different story. But I think it's all a learning curve. And I think, you know, you look at all the different games we've played and all the starts and the middles and the finish and we can only grow from here and look at what we can do better in our next international matches coming.

[Reporter]

And in the end, it's Australia yet again on the podium with a sixth World Cup title undefeated in the tournament as the captain of first time World Cup finalists - What would you say your observations are on eventual champions Australia and what makes them special?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, obviously they are a world machine. I think the level of professionalism is insane and I think, their team, the world has been looking up to for a very, very long time and they're the best for a reason. I think, if you look at the structures and pipelines - everything is just lining up and everything is in order. So, I think that's something definitely as a country we're striving for. And I think we obviously look at the structures and, you know, want to see what you know how we can do that best in our country as well. But obviously the best in the world for a reason. And we can only, try and get better and better to knock on those doors to eventually beat them.

[Reporter]

Just got one question for past two months you've had a rollercoaster ride; you've been swinging up - the performance has been there.

What is your message to your fans in India back home and B] to the scouts who are watching you for the next year's WIPL auction?

I mean, your fans in India, the newly made Indian fans.

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, I hope they enjoyed watching cricket. I don't think they loved us too much after the Tri-Series victory. But no, I think obviously you have fans across the world and we really appreciate their support no matter where they are from, you know, from which country they're from.

[Reporter]

Two questions, first to play in front of a record crowd, which is quite possibly the highest for any women's sporting event in this country. And also, in front of your former teammates, some of the teammates who are not playing and your families, just to be there in front of them this day, what does that mean?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, it was obviously the most special day I think we could have asked for. I don't think, when we started the tournament, this was something we envisioned. We were hoping, it wasn't going to be too embarrassing with empty stadiums and obviously, you know, following up on the MCG two years ago, three years ago, we really want like, I think we just hoped there was a couple of people coming to the game. And I think to see this at every single game we've played is absolutely next level. The country really - they were really behind us and it's something we never really thought would happen. So, it's such an honour to be able to have that opportunity to inspire a nation and for them to come out and watch us play, it was such a blessing.

[Reporter]

What do you think - you set the benchmark here for not just for South Africa, but for the world as well, because the stadium is full, that's all you can ask for. What do you think is next for, not just for South Africa, but in a larger scheme of things, what do you think is for the women's cricket game?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, I think obviously the IPL is next. And that's going to be massive for women's cricket as well. And then I'm hoping it grows from then hopefully, you know, with the SA20 on the main side, we hopefully get a SA20 for women's as well. And I think that would really, really help South African cricket, South African women's cricket, especially just to get that the depth that we keep talking about. And I think if you look at all those leagues in the countries, it's in the top three nations. And that's why they're so good. And that's why they have that depth, because they have leagues where, I think, overseas players come and play and you get used to playing with them and against them. And when a youngster like Annerie Dercksen comes up to the stage, it's not, she's not looking at Elyse Perry going, wow, it's, you know, playing against her for this first time, Elyse might have played with her in a team or something like that, if that makes sense. So, I think that's something we really need to look at. I think we've been asking for a very long time for SA League. I know it's budget constrained, and there's always resources and all those things. But I think, like I said, we've given our girls the best chance we could have. And it's up to CS and everyone involved to kind of make that happen and give it our best shot.

[Reporter]

You've now led this team to a World Cup final. Do you feel like, as captain, it might have put your mark on this team as leader in a way that you maybe weren't able to do before this tournament?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, I hope so. I think, as a captain, you always want to get your team across the line, whether it's a tri-series final or World Cup final. I'm just extremely proud of the girls, although we didn't get the result we wanted today. I think we've done extremely brilliant things here, and as a captain, I couldn't be happier. Doesn't matter the result, as I said before the game, it doesn't matter what happens today. As a player, as a team mate, as a captain, I'm extremely proud of every single person.

[Reporter]

Just comparing this to your result in England, kind of seven short months ago, where things were quite difficult for you as a side. How have you turned it around?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah, I think if you just put all the distractions and everything that's happening aside, and you really just focus on cricket, what it's really about, and you get youngsters in who wants to be here, who wants to play the game of cricket, and it brings that enjoyment factor back. I think that's really what we did the last two months. We really just enjoyed our cricket, we played as a unit, and we enjoyed each other's company off the field as well. I think just leaving all the distractions, just focusing on cricket, and just enjoying the game of cricket.

[Reporter]

You talked about the big three - can you sum up this performance given that you don't have the same sort of structures that the big three have and how much does just the performance that you've had move South Africa closer to being part of this big three?

[Sune Luus]

Yeah I think when you look at the performance we've had against you know all three teams um we didn't play well I guess we played India in the tri-series final but I think we're knocking on doors and we're so close to do the best in the world - I think we've knocked over India, we've knocked over England in high pressure situations unfortunately we couldn't do it today but I think we're so so close and we have so talented people in our team and I think you know with the right resources and the right structures we can just you know get them to the next level. So, I'm really excited for the next months to come and what's going to happen and just for the players growth I think it's going to be exponential and I think this team is just going to grow from strength to strength. I think like you guys said we've set the benchmark here today and we're not going to I think settle for anything less in the future.