Women’s World Cup: ‘Crowd pressure could work in our favour’, says SA skipper Wolvaardt ahead of final with India

Navi Mumbai, Nov 1 (IANS) South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt believes that the intense home support India will enjoy in Sunday’s ICC Women’s World Cup final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai could actually work to her team’s advantage. As the Proteas prepare for their maiden World Cup final, Wolvaardt said that the capacity crowd and the expectations surrounding the hosts might add an extra layer of pressure on India.

“It’s going to be a very exciting opportunity, but at the same time I think it puts a lot of pressure on them as well,” Wolvaardt said on the eve of the final. “They have the whole country behind them and are sort of expected to win. I guess so. Yeah, I think it sort of plays in our favour, hopefully. We’re very excited for the game. They’re a very good side. We’re going to have to play some really good cricket to beat them, but we’re really excited for the opportunity.”

The final will mark a clash between two teams chasing history — India aiming for their first world title in women’s cricket, and South Africa looking to lift their maiden World Cup trophy. Interestingly, South Africa have held the upper hand in previous World Cup meetings, leading the head-to-head 3-0. However, Wolvaardt was quick to dismiss any talk of past dominance, emphasising that finals demand a fresh mindset.

“Yeah, like I said before, every cricket game starts at zero. We can’t sort of bring any of our history into this game. Whether it would be finals that we’ve lost or games that we’ve won against India, we’re just really trying to erase all of that stuff and start completely afresh in this game,” she said. “Yeah, I think there’s big pressure on both teams to perform, and I think whoever stays the calmest under that pressure is going to most likely come out on top tomorrow.”

Both India and South Africa have previously experienced heartbreak in World Cup finals, and Wolvaardt said that this time, her approach is to remain grounded and focused on the process rather than the prize.

“I think in those finals or the first time I was in the final, you automatically think about the trophy and think about winning and sort of get excited. And now I’m just really trying to stay present. We still have a really big game ahead of us against a really quality side,” she said.

“I’m trying not to think too far ahead. I just really need to focus on what I need to do tonight at practice and then what I need to do tomorrow morning. Just really sort of slow it down. I think the first time you’re in those finals, it sort of feels like a really big, fast-paced event. Whereas I think we need to all slow it down and take a big breath, and hopefully we’re able to do that as a group,” she added.

For Wolvaardt and her team, Sunday’s final is not just about winning a trophy — it’s about inspiring a generation back home.

“(A World Cup win) will be really special for the women’s game back home. We recently got domestic contracts introduced. So, I can only imagine what something like a World Cup trophy will do back home. Just the number of girls that will be able to see it on TV, who will hear that we’re a World Cup-winning nation,” she said, her voice reflecting both hope and determination.

–IANS

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