No Balls: A truly DEVINE episode

Al, we've got to issue a swear warning because you are an absolute potty mouth.

Not another one.

And you need to remember that your grandma listens to this.

She does. She also abuses me on social media.

But don't worry, we beep it out.

So your kids can listen.

And Grandma Jean. First ball castled.

Now I'm celebrating for Crossy. That one was for Crossy. That was a beautiful delivery. The wobble ball again from Kate Cross. And that is such an important wicket. Kate crossing for the hat trick. Ball wide.

Hello and welcome back to no Balls, a cricket podcast with me, Kate Cross and you, Alex Hartley.

Hello. From the hotel reception. So I'm really sorry about the background noise.

It doesn't sound too bad.

Okay, that's good. There is a water fountain currently directly behind me that is making splashing noises and there's music. So. It's fine. It's fine.

Literally the last thing Jack said before he went off was, make sure you're talking to the mic, Alex. And within the first 30 seconds, you've turned around and looked at water fountain.

Oh, yeah, sorry, my back source. I don't want to keep leaning into it. Anyway, how are you?

I am okay now, thank you. I have had a day. Yeah, A day. Yeah, A big fat hangover day. We did two and two. It's the award season, you just gotta back it up. And I did pcas on Thursday. Lanks do last night, Friday night. So, yeah, big two days.

And you're 34 now, so that's you've got a two day hangover. But you're off on holiday tomorrow as well.

No, not holiday tomorrow. It's a summit tomorrow.

Well, it's a holiday.

It's not a holiday.

Oh, is it not?

It's a working holiday.

I've been on those summits.

I know it's a working holiday.

Oh, whatever.

You can't tell people it's a holiday because then everyone will want to be a PCA rep and it's sacred job.

So.

Yeah, it's a secret. It's a secret.

Well, technically, this is my last summit, Al, because I'm England PCA rep and I'm not an England player from October 31st, so it's my retirement one.

Oh, my. Make the most of it.

Wait, let me just be really clear on that. It's my retiring from my PCA role.

Yes, yes.

Before there's a headline, I'm not retiring from cricket. I'm retiring from being the PCA rep.

Yes, yes. But other than the hangover, how have you been this week?

Yeah, been okay, actually. It's been a nice week. I always think this is the best week of the season. It's not because cricket's better, but I always love the season. I love the awards, like, part of the. Of the year. So it's always really nice.

Yes, it is. It's always a really good week. But I can't do. I can't do them when they're back to back, so I don't know how you've done it.

They always seem to be back to back, though. That's it, I think, because if it's fallen a bit later this year, so this is the year it shouldn't have been back to back because normally it falls around my birthday, which was last Friday, and it's been late this year because Josh Bahannon got married. So the Lanks one got pushed back and then the PCA one got pushed back.

Because of Josh Bahannon.

Well, yeah, because otherwise there'd be no Lancashire players there.

Oh, I thought you meant just him.

No, he's. His friends generally are in his cricket team. So that's how it works normally.

Yeah.

Yeah, Yeah, I see. I see. I've had a long day.

Well, but then the PCA one was late because the England men flew out to New Zealand, so they based it on their travel time. So, anyway, it somehow ended up being back to back on the year. It shouldn't be back to back. But anyway, I'm here, I've survived it and I'm okay.

You've got through the day. It's currently 7pm at home and you can go to bed in the next 45 minutes.

I didn't brush my teeth until 3pm I was that bad.

Oh, my God.

I couldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't face the world. That's how bad it was.

It's like that time I was with you and the thought of brushing my teeth made me sick.

Oh, yeah. Anyway, how are you?

I'm good, thank you. I'm good. I'm good. I'm having some troubles out here, Crossy, when it comes to visas and whatnot. We spoke about my visa coming through on the last episode. It turns out it's been rejected. So I am off to the High Commission, apparently, on Monday to get that sorted out. So we shall see what happens. But at the minute, I'm in Colombo and I've just watched England win a really good game of cricket again.

Well done, England. They're top of the table now, aren't they?

We are top of the league, so. We are totally. Yeah, yeah. Because we are three from three and Australia obviously had one rained out, so.

Yeah.

Yeah. Another great day for the girls. Crossie.

It didn't make me laugh, but I found it quite ironic that you spoke about England having a really good run of games now and then. They thankfully had Heather Knight in their team against Bangladesh, but Bangladesh proved to be a much more challenging game than you led everyone to believe.

Yeah, I was like three really easy games. Don't worry about it, guys. We'll be fine. We'll be top of the table. Australia had one rained out. The Bangladesh game was. When you look at the scorecard, it wasn't a rips norther, but in the moment when England were losing wickets and Heather Knight was 16 or 53 balls or whatever, 16 or 51 balls, we were like, no way. We knew Bangladesh had a brilliant bowling attack, but we didn't know they'd caused so many problems.

It was a slow pitch as well, wasn't it? It just looks so hard.

Yeah. Yeah. And Charlie Dean to the rescue.

Yes. Well batted, Dino. She's done that a few times for. For England now. I remember she had a couple of good partnerships in New Zealand with Amy Jones.

Was one not with you?

No, I don't think so.

I made that up on comms then.

Okay. But I guess that really does go to show Heather were Heather Knight's worth in this team, isn't it? Like when she had that injury however many months ago and you're, you know, is she gonna make it? Is she not? That's why you give her the opportunity to have all the time in the world to get fit because she's such a key part of that batting lineup.

Exactly. And even today she didn't get like a 50 or whatever, but she just looked really good and she played really, really nicely. She'll be frustrated when she got out. She gloved the ball, which is annoying. One of those on review that you might get away with it, you know, because it just. It just brushed a brush the knuckle.

I wanted to ask you about the crowds because I. What I'm seeing on TV doesn't look great. Is that accurate?

Yep, absolutely accurate. Although today there was six and a half thousand in.

Oh, nice.

Okay.

Yeah.

So there was a few in today built really strangely. About 7pm More and more people came in. About 1500 people came in, I guess when people finished work or whatever. Six and a half today. India. Australia's sold out in India. England is sold out So I think did say that the India Games are doing really well and they're bringing in the crowds. Obviously, the Indians love Elise Perry because of the. The WPL as well. But, yeah, the crowds have been disappointing. It. They weren't originally free here in Colombo, and now it's free entry.

Okay. Yeah, yeah. I just watching it on telly today, and I was like, it's just such a shame that, like, this is the pinnacle. This is like our Olympics, and it's just not quite been sold to everyone the way that it maybe should have been.

I can tell you. It's still loud, obviously.

Yeah, obviously.

There's one thing I want to talk about today's game, and I came off my long run on TMS Crossy because I. It really, really me off. Shimari Atapatu got stretchered off, like, full stretcher. Four blokes carrying her off, and I was like, wow. Well, tournament's done. She's on a stretcher. She comes back out to bat. She had cramp.

Yeah, I did see that. Well, I was having a snooze, and I heard Natalie Germanos on commentary saying, oh, this doesn't look good. And I kind of woke up and saw Jamari on the floor. So I was like, oh, that looked like. It looked like a back spasm at first. I was like, oh, gosh, she's not moving well. And then an hour later, she was batting again, and I was like, oh, okay.

Does she not get embarrassed? I had secondhand embarrassment for her. Someone emailed TMS saying she should have got stretchered back out to the middle. I just think. I think if you go off for cramp, which you can do, it's part. You can do that. You've got to walk off. You can't get stretched off. Like, dude, Glenn Maxwell against Afghanistan had cramped the whole way through. He's like a salmon out of water.

I do feel. I know you've got really wound up by this, but she might not know what cramp feels like. It might be the first time she had cramp. We don't know that. So it might have really. It is painful cramp. The stretcher does feel extreme, but the structure, like, yeah, the stretcher was extreme, but I feel like if you're not sure what you've done, you're gonna listen to the medical advice around you.

It was hilarious. And then she ran the quickest single I've ever seen her run. When she came back out, well, they've.

Got a good medical team and the Sri Lankans, right.

Her And Gulbuddin from Afghanistan, they got the same one.

Yeah, that is. Stefani Taylor used to be a big one for that, didn't she? She'd always get carted off the field and then come back out and play.

Yeah, it just gets to me and I needed to get off my chest with somebody that would listen. So it's there. I. I feel embarrassed for. And if she's not embarrassed, then I need a bit of her confidence.

Yeah. Well, I hope she's okay.

She's fine.

Good.

You got cramp.

Cramps bad.

Yeah. You've had some bad cramps.

Terrible cramps. I got. I wasn't allowed to go back on the pitch for Cramp. Gutted. I bought my 10 overs and they were like, nah, just stay off. I was in Southampton, in the Ashes. I got a little thing that I wanted to bring up very quickly, but do you remember on last week's episode, someone mentioned that hen2fingers was mentioned on a football podcast?

Yes, it is them, really.

So it's your fingers if you're playing the drinking game.

There we go.

Yeah.

So I messaged them and I was like, please, can you explain what's going on here? And they said, literally, it's nothing fun, but I've been getting into this podcast called Football Cliches. It's about the language of football. And I sent a question in and they read it out. And my friend Jake also appeared on it once and mentioned me by first name. But my ties to football cliches are nowhere near as strong as my ties to no Balls.

That is correct. Correct. Ten, two fingers. And the only thing I've got in my sticky note, crossy is you're just picking up more awards, darling.

I know. Oh, last night was really lovely, actually. I really wasn't expecting to win anything because I've got Emma Lam in the same team as me. And she absolutely cleared up. She won Player of the Year at the PCAS and obviously won Player of the Year for Lancs. But I got the, like, the one that the members vote for, which I think is a really lovely award, actually.

Yeah, that is. That's really sweet.

Yeah, it was really nice. So I had to go up on stage. I had to go up on stage at the PCAS as well, which I only found out about 24 hours before because Field of Dreams won an award and Fred wasn't there and Hoggy wasn't there, so I had to go up. So always nerve wracking, never nice.

PCA Team of the Year and you got PCA Player of the month. I'm sorry, but you did just. Just so many medals.

Strong finish to the season. It was good. It was a good year. Yeah, I think. I think Goodyear. Bad year.

Yeah.

Ups and downs. The ups and downs of cricket.

Yeah. Yeah.

Right. We need to crack on because everyone knows, because we've already put a little teaser out this week on the old gram.

A divine episode coming your way. That's what Jack told us to say.

Yeah, we had to make some puns with the word divine forgotten.

I just read that message now. Anyway, we've spoken to Sophie Devine. You've seen a teaser. Should we hear the rest of it?

Let's go, Harley. I'm very excited to say that we are joined by New Zealand legend and captain, Sophie Devine. Sophie, welcome to the podcast. For the second time.

I feel honored that I've been asked back. I thought for sure one and done.

Well, we invited you back because I actually want to know if you're over the Commonwealth Games pocket yet that England didn't need.

No, actually. And I've made sure every uniform since has made sure that there is not any little wee middle pocket attached.

Yeah, it didn't. Didn't go well for us, that did it, actually.

No, but it made a great podcast episode.

Agreed.

So you're in India. We're in the middle of a World Cup. Whereabouts are you currently?

Indoors, Indoor. We've been lucky. We've been here now for. I don't even know, time just blows into one. But we've been here for about a week or so now. So, yeah, ventured out about three times, which is a record for me, I think.

Nice. We were just talking off air about the weather in this World cup has been really quite disappointing, hasn't it? It's like being in Manchester.

Just gonna say at least, yeah, England's got an excuse for having crap weather, but yeah, it's not what you want. I think at these sort of tournaments, you know, there's a chance that it could come into it, but you just hope that it doesn't affect too many of the games and points are decided by not playing rather than who's played.

Yeah. It is a strange one, though. And I know Sophie are probably not going to be able to say anything because you're in the middle of the tournament, but it's monsoon season, so, you know, what were they expecting? We've just come out of monsoon season here and I learned the other day in Guwahati, where I still am, I feel like I've been here, four months. It's only 100km away from the wettest place in. In India.

Great.

Great. As a player, how do you. How do you actually get your team mentally prepared when it is down all the time?

I'm probably not the best person to talk to because I've got the attention span of a. Of a goldfish. But, yeah, like, I think everyone talks about the cliche stuff, don't they, in terms of being able to switch off and then being able to switch back on and how people do that's real different. Especially now, like, this generation coming through. Like, I mean, not that you can have phones, but they'll be doing TikTok dances and.

Oh, I saw you doing a TikTok dance.

Honestly, Eden Carson is. She's got something coming to her. I don't want to give too much away, but she is seriously under huge threat, so.

Or you're thinking prank or, like, pain?

Both. And I don't care if there's tears, actually. In fact, part of me wants a little just tear. Me and dancing are very. Yeah, you did it.

You did it.

You say that. So if I saw you in that RCB outfit doing some dancing and I thought you. I thought you owned pez, actually. I thought you owned it.

Thank you. That's probably the only time I've ever beaten Pez at anything before. I'm not sure if saying much, though. She's. Yeah. Not the strongest of dancers, but, yeah, I think it's cool. How people switch on and off is up to them. And that's something that's really big in this group, is you gotta be free to be yourself and express yourself. But as long as when the time comes to switch back on, we're back on. And that's the tough thing, isn't it? They could say, oh, it's 10 minutes, it's 20 minutes, it's an hour. You know, like the other day at a warmup game, I ended up having to sleep on a physio table because I'm about 86 and I love a.

Nap and a little na, na, na.

Yeah, just make sure you leave me alone. But, yeah, it is. It's frustrating, but it's also part of cricket. I mean, you English people know that better than most. You know, rain's gonna happen at some.

Stage or just a word of warning, here in Gueharta, they obviously cover the whole ground like they do everywhere else in India and Sri Lanka. The. The announcement we got was, game starting in three minutes, and we were like, pardon? So they do get the covers off real quick.

Oh, it's unbelievable the amount of people that they've got on board though. Like, that's the thing, they just come out of all these corners and pockets of the ground and you just think all of a sudden there's 300 people on the ground removing these covers. So they do an unbelievable job. Like you just couldn't do that in New Zealand or, or England.

So let's talk about New Zealand for a little bit. So you had some warm up stuff in Abu Dhabi against England. Obviously disappointing start to the tournament, but how's the, how's the vibe in the group? What was your chat stuff to the girls coming into the tournament? Like, what was the vibe? Because you technically champions at the world at the minute.

I mean, in T20 cricket.

Yeah, bit different. Double it, double it and you'll get to 50 over champs.

Yeah, there we go. Yeah. Oh, look, I think the great thing about this group is the confidence we did take from last year, just the belief, particularly in those younger girls to know that we can win, you know, a pinnacle event. And yes, it's a different tournament, it's different conditions, different. Everyone's 12 months down the track, but the confidence that we've got from that and I think you can see it in some of those younger players and how they're playing. The warm up games are awesome for us. Like, absolutely. You know, you want to win those games of cricket, but the fact that we pushed England twice in both those games and then the warm up games against India in India, like the top six top eight batters all got time in the middle. We got bowlers got through, we started to think about plans and I guess our big thing with the warm up games was we're preparing for the World cup, we're not preparing to win warm up games, they don't count for points. So as frustrating as it was at times to, to lose, and I think you both know how much I hate losing. But you know, when you look at the bigger picture, the fact that when we turned up here in India, yeah, we're in a great space and despite the first up loss to the Aussies, the way that we played that game and put them under pressure, you know, I'm really proud and I think it's given us a bit of a boost in terms of moving forward because at the end of the day, I mean, this is hard for me to say, but you can accept losing if, you know, you've gone out there and you've really, you know. Yeah, played well.

Well, you can lose in the right way.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

And I think any team that gets Australia 130 for five and you got. Hang on a minute. We're doing something right here.

Yeah, absolutely. And that's what makes them just in a different league is they just keep coming. I mean, what. Kim Garth came in at number nine and was lapping and bashing us down the ground and stuff like that. And you just think, when does it. Yeah, I think exactly that the confidence we get from knowing that when we get our plans right, we can put the best team in the world under pressure. And it is. It's just about. You've just got. You've literally got to do it for 100 overs. You can't do it because what you saw. Ash goes out and scores a ton off 80 odd balls. And yeah, with the ball, they just. Relentless. So, yeah, great start for you, though.

To say it's your last tournament. Must be. Yeah, I'm gonna. I'm, you know, I'm gonna take this team and we're gonna do something pretty special and I'm gonna do it as my bowing out.

Yeah, that's funny. Like, people have.

Fair.

Few people have been like, oh, you know, you must be emotional with it being your last. Your last tournament. And I think the really important thing for me was that I think because I made this decision so early, like, I've had time to process all of that and to go through the emotions and to be sad and upset and angry and, you know, scared, so that now that I'm here, I'm just like, fuck, I just want to go out and play cricket, you know, and, yeah, I guess the position we found ourselves in, which at bat wasn't ideal, but.

You don't plan on being. Not for two.

Well, I mean, you know, it wasn't can A or B, but yeah, like, I think, again, that shows the resilience in this group and where we've grown is that. That we can fight back. The way that Matty Green, Brooke Halliday, Izzy Gays came out, they were just like, bugger this, we're just going to keep going at you.

Great start for you. So scoring 100 in your first World cup game.

Yeah.

Well, not your first World cup game. Sorry? Ask the first World cup game of this tournament. Definitely not your first. About your 101st.

Yeah. Oh, look, it was. It's nice, isn't it? I think cliche game, though. But I'd chuck it all in if it meant that we could win that game. Yeah. I think the thing for me is obviously coming in a pretty tricky spot, but to be able to build it with merely and then to probably counter punch a little bit was really cool. And just to keep back myself in there. I think it's probably a funny one because I've played so much with the Aussies against the Aussies, you know, I know what they do, but they also know what I do. So, yeah, it's cool. It's just a really cool challenge. And, I mean, I don't think I've ever switched as much.

Yeah, your shirt was stuck to you.

I've never understood, like, the blokes, you know, how they do the old helmet squeeze. And I did that at one stage and I was just like, like. But, yeah, like to get through that, to be honest, it took two days to recover. But, yeah, I mean, that's what you play for, do you know what I mean? Is trying to help your team get into winning positions in India and hard conditions. Yeah, it was cool. In a weird way, just to let.

Everyone know, Alex is never normally this quiet on a podcast, but there's a few power cuts going on in India, so she keeps dipping in and out. So it's just me and so having a chat, really. But you back now.

I did say deny on the grief. I said, just let you know I'm in the middle of the jungle. Power comes in and out.

You missed it, Albert. So just alluded to, obviously, it being her last World cup and she's had a lot of time to process this. We wanted to talk to you about that a bit, so if you're happy to chat about it. So what was it that made you realize this is the time?

I guess looking back to last year's World cup and sort of going down a similar process in terms of wanting to make a decision early. That way I could let the team focus just on the job and I could focus on just playing and leading as well as I could. That was almost the blueprint for this. And guess the difference between the T20s and the 50 over stuff is there's only every four years is the 50 over stuff and I'm sure not hanging around for another four years.

How old would you be at the next one if you went there?

I'd be 40, so I'll be nice.

Yeah, do it.

No way in hell. Like, I'd be in a Zimmer frame pushing it down between overs. But, yeah, like, that was a really tough decision. Like, yeah, like, I mean, cross it with obviously what you've gone through. Lately and Alex here as well. Cricket's been your life and it's all I've done for nearly 20 years, do you know what I mean? Like I was literally a 17 year old kid rocking up into this white fence environment and Now I'm a 36 year old kid fens environment and that was a lot of. It was a lot of anxiety for me to even think about retiring because I'm just like, what do I do? I've only ever done cricket. Like I've been so lucky that this has been my job and this is all I've had to worry about and I love it. But yeah, that was probably what took the most processing. It was, yeah, what am I going to do without it? Who am I without it? I'm lost and that. Yeah, like I was super lucky. Like I've had so much great support from family and friends but also psychs like my psychologists have been awesome at understanding that and yeah, putting me first I guess as a person which again as a cricketer you get told where to go, where to be, when to train, when to bowl, you know what you have to do and that's nice.

It's weird mate, trust me. It's so weird.

Yeah. But that was a stuff that took a lot of time to process and to accept was that I'm going to be okay. I mean I've still got no clue what I'm going to do but I'm able to sit in that a lot more comfortably now and be okay and I'm content with my decision which is a really nice space to be in because I think if I was still a bit like, oh, I'm not sure. Whereas now I'm like, nah, I'm happy, decision's been made, I can just literally just enjoy it for what it is.

But you're still going to play a bit of franchise stuff.

Yeah, I mean that's the plan. I mean I haven't officially retired from T20 internationals either but sort of have just left that one a little bit. But yeah, aim is to hopefully play a bit more franchise cricket and just see what happens again. Like I'll just take whatever comes my way. Not sounding or anything like that but to teams please pick me. But yeah, there's a new, there's a.

New one in Canada, there'll be one in Sri Lanka, there's loads of them popping up.

Yeah, absolutely. I'll be, I'll be floating around. But again like I do, I feel in a space now where I'm. If I pick up A couple of gigs. That's awesome. I still feel like I've got something to offer in that space, but equally, if I don't, well, that's cool. I can start the next phase of my life as well.

Has it almost given you a sense of freedom coming into this World cup on a selfish level, knowing that, okay, you can just go out and enjoy it as your last one?

Yeah, absolutely. And that's hates. What I spoke about with my psych was now I can. I can drop all that other stuff, do you know what I mean, and just go out and I can play cricket, which, yeah, seems stupid because what have I been doing for the last 20 years? And I've been playing cricket. But, yeah, just to have that sense of. We spoke a lot about almost trying to manage how much energy I've got and almost trying to tease it out a little bit, I guess, and make sure that I don't burn out. And. Whereas now it's like, well, I've got nothing else afterwards. So if I'm absolutely carked by the end of it, it's like, who cares? And I'd much rather be in that space than be like, I've still got something in the tank and I wish I could have given more. It's like, you know what? I'm just. I want to be carried off the field in that last game because I've given absolutely every part of my mind, body, soul to. To the game. And, yeah, there's a real sense of freedom within that.

There was a really lovely moment when you sang the national anthem for your first game and there was a little photo of you with a tear in your eye. I mean, so if you can't cry before every game, otherwise you literally will be so emotionally drained by the end of it.

But you know what? I probably will. I don't even care anymore. Like, do you know what I mean? It does. It's such a cool moment. And the anthem's always been a real interesting one for me because I don't sing it and I never have. And, yes, it's mostly because I've got probably the worst singing voice you'll ever hear in your life. But I've always used that time to think about everyone that's been a part of my journey. And that's probably why I do get emotional, especially now, because I'm like, I'm not going to get the opportunity to hear the national anthem alongside my mates playing for my country too much anymore. And, yeah, if I end up crying another seven or eight times, Then that is. It's just because I'm reflecting on just everything that I've been able to do and the people that have helped me on my way and yeah, probably surprises people that I'm absolute silk and things like that. But I've got to that point in my life where I'm like, I don't actually give, like, if people are like, oh, you're soft cock, who cares? I am. Yeah.

I. Even with the national anthem now, I. When England are like in finals or semi finals, whatever, I'm still like. Like, I don't even. I'm not even friends with half of these girls, but I'm so. Oh, that's my team. So that. That feeling never really goes away and it's been. What's it been crossing for me? Eight years or something? Ridiculous. Yeah, that's what Henry said the other day, actually. He was like, you lost your job eight years ago. I was like, thanks, Henry.

I can't believe it's been that long, actually.

I know, I know, but this is.

It's not about you, this one.

I was literally about to say that.

I actually think this. I think so, though. Like, you have obviously been such a huge part of New Zealand story for what, fif, 15 years? Or is that 20 years? About as long as you've.

2006. I made my debut. So we're coming up.

Coming up to 20 years. Wow. So, like, you deserve to have the spotlight for this tournament. Like, you deserve to have a farewell. You deserve to have all of it. And Susie will be the same when she decides to go as well. But, like, I think it's really lovely that you know that this is going to be your last tournament.

Yeah. It's funny you say that because, yeah, I've given a lot to New Zealand cricket, but New Zealand cricket's given me everything as well. And we all know that cricket doesn't always end in fairy tales and you don't get the choice most of the time. So, again, I know I've made it very public that this is my last one, but it's also. I don't want it to be about me. Like, I want it to be about this team and enjoying it and yeah, it's going to be my last one, but it should be about what's happening on the park and you can have.

Both, you know, you can do really well as a team and you can still get a bit of spotlight. Yeah, yeah.

Oh, but I know that's not in my nature, but you are. You're right. But, like, it is. I just want to have that, that freedom and enjoyment. Just when I first started playing, Jeremy, my first World cup, and you're so naive.

And were you in skirts?

Yep. Colots Lehigh socks too, actually, funnily enough.

SHE mouth.

Oh. But I mean, you know what it's like when you first make those teams, whether it's county or international, whatever. You are so, yeah. Naive and blind to everything that goes on, which is a great thing. And that's where it should be in a way.

How quickly has those 20 years gone for you? Now? You're like, it's over.

Like, unbelievable. Me and Suze were just talking about the other day, like, sort of just going back to. Yeah. Those earlier World Cups, and you sort of think, where's that time gone? Like, 20 years is actually a decent chunk of time losing our team aren't even 20. Like, we've. We've been playing longer than you've been alive. But, yeah, to think what. How the game's gone in that time, like, it's almost. Yeah, it's hard to see it as the same game in a way.

But how good is it now for you, knowing that New Zealand cricket is in a really good space? Obviously, You've won the T20 World cup, but from my point of view, this World cup squad that you've picked isn't one that for the first time in quite a few World Cups that you could have predicted. It's almost like over the last few years, it's like, okay, well, we know 15 players that are going to go for New Zealand. I don't really need to do that research this time. There's new names, there's faces that have missed out and that must leave you quite proud as well, knowing that it's in a really good spot.

Oh, absolutely. And that's probably a big part of why I feel so content walking away, is that I know this group's in really good hands. And the work that Ben Sawyer and, you know, Liz Green and New Zealand cricket, high performance staff. It's taken a while, as you say. You know, it was sometimes a struggle to find 15 names, if I'm being honest. And then here we've left people at home that have got experience, have played, have had success on the international scene. So the fact we're starting to get to a position now where we've got depth and competition for places, it does. It makes sense. The thought of me stepping away a lot easier and happy to sort of hand over the reins to whoever will, knowing that this group, the setup the structure, the people. To me, I think that's the most important. The people that we've got involved are the right people and are the right people to take this group forward.

What do you. I know you said you're not too sure what you think about doing next, but should we. Should we get our listeners to give you some suggestions maybe and we could send them on to you?

Please do. Because I. I mean, at the moment, there is not much that's going on, really. I mean, I'm a professional to do list writer, so I'm very good at sleeping as well. So any mattress testing out there? That's sort of the two.

Oh, yeah, good one.

Leading options.

Chocolate sponsorship.

Yeah, mattress testing.

What about a bit of commentary? So if I can see you in the comms box. You like talking? Oh, you good at talking?

I mean, with what I'm saying is of any value. But, yeah, I do. Like, I love the game and I love. Yeah, seeing the strategy side of it, the tactical side of things. Like, I find that fascinating.

I think that's you and Katie Martin would be a dream commentary duo with both of you loving. Loving the tactical side of it, though, because she loves Hawkeye.

She is next level, though. And I don't think me and her. I would lose my. At her at some stage. Paper everywhere and I'm needing to be nice and ordered. But yeah, I think that, like, in all honesty, the funny thing about commentary is if it was just literally sitting on a couch talking with mates about the game, I'd love it.

Oh, you could do the red button. It'd be red button commentary. So, like on tv, yeah, Obviously have the proper comms. But then the red button is when you go to two people who are just sat in the living room just doing like your average Joe's, just doing commentary. And that could be you and Katie.

That is Dr. Like, it's just all the, like, makeup and hair and having to dress up and get there early. I just want to talk about the game and have some chips and dip and, you know, just yum.

The best thing about when you got stopped playing cricket is that you can have the chips and dip and you don't have to have breakfast and you actually survive. It's mental. People tell you that you need breakfast to survive. I've not had breakfast for nine years. Like. And you're gonna. You're gonna have this, like, new world, this new Sophie Divine world. It's gonna be amazing.

Oh, and that's. Do you know, I mean, like, that's a Real exciting thing. It's like that sort of that you just don't think that it's like, oh, what do you mean? I don't have to warm up or I don't have to hit turn my watch on and track. You know, how fast I'm going. It's like, oh, I don't know what that's going to be like.

I had one the other day. So if someone. Someone was like, what will you be doing next year? Like, December? And I was like, yeah, I can say yes to things in advance now because I'm gonna know what my schedule looks like and I don't have to worry about fixtures and traveling and all the rest of it.

Yeah. Oh, it is. It is. It's a new world, which sounds so stupid to everyday people. Do you know what I mean? But, I mean, it's been literally mapped out for you years in advance. Yeah.

God, we'll look after you, girl. If not, we'll make a space on this podcast for you so you can come join us.

Oh, my gosh. Imagine it really hits the fan. I was gonna say it's the last resort. Is it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll sub you in for Alex.

Oh, I like this podcast. It keeps me going. It gets me off in the morning.

Gets you having your breakfast. It does.

So we've asked our listeners for some questions, which are always really rogue, but we've had literally hundreds because you're a massive fan favorite. But the first one we've had is Cricket is Dead now, and I presume that's because you're retiring. Oh, so you've got a big fan in Showab.

I love it. Thank you, Shoaib. That's beautiful.

But I.

Please keep watching. There's lots of people that are a hell of a lot better than me.

Carolyn has asked, who is your favorite franchise and why?

Oh, that's a good question.

Well done, Carolyn. You've won.

Yes. That's a great one. That's a really hard one. Like, I'd always say, like, the scrap, the strikers and the scorches. For me, I've just loved playing in the big Bash. I think being in it from the start, seeing it grow, has been so cool. But then the Southern Brave this year was so much fun. Like, just a great bunch of girls. The support from the club, just like, yeah, awesome environment to be from. And then rcb, it's. I don't even know how you explain it.

Oh, you're choking up as you talk about it.

Rcb, it Just means so much to me.

But, you know, it's one of those. That franchise is like, you just have to be part of it to realize the absolute monster of a thing it is. Do you know what I mean? Like, it's just. It sweeps you up.

That's a great way of describing, does sweep you up. But then they even, like, I played a domestic game a couple weeks ago and I got a threefer and they posted about it, like, they really look after you. Even though it's been two years. I never even got out on the park for our cb and they posted my figures from a lance game. Oh, well. Cute.

It's funny you say that, though, because I was scrolling through some of my DMs, and this is like one of my favorite things. I mean, it's not actually that funny in all seriousness, in terms of the keyboard warriors and stuff like that. But literally, within a space of four messages, it had gone from being like, beep, beep, beep, you should retire.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

Beautiful century, baby girl. And I'm like, how have you gone from wanting me, like, retire and never play a game to being like, congratulations.

Well done, baby girl.

Beautiful century, baby girl. Sums up DM so perfectly.

Well.

Michael Ingram wants to know what you've done with your World cup medal.

Currently, it's at my mum and dad's house in the second drawer in a cupboard somewhere. I'm planning on getting it framed with the shirt. I actually cross. I actually need to talk to you about this, Crossy, because I think you've done it with a lot of your old shirts and you got it.

Oh, the chair.

Yeah, I love that. And I was like, I would love to do something along those lines of just patching together of all the shirts and stuff that I've played in over the years, something like that.

I mean, would you want to get it shipped from England? Because I. I didn't get it done in New Zealand.

Yeah, that's probably a slight issue and I'm not too sure about. Yeah, the old costing with that and I'm not now with New Zealand cricket, so money's a little bit. But yeah, I think something like that would be so cool. You know, I don't quite have a pool room where I can put up, you know, a lot of things, but something like that. Just to show, I mean, how old I am and how many teams, clubs I've been. Been around a bit. But, yeah, something like that would be cool.

That'd be really Cool. Elena says, did you enjoy the Rugby World Cup? I think she said. I think she. I saw her at Blackburn's game.

Yes. Loved it. I managed to get to their first game up in York and like, I love rugby, I love the Black Ferns. I just. The thing that was most cool though was going to another Sports World cup as a fan.

Yeah.

It's funny when you go as a player, like, I was like, where do I park? I can't just go like, where do I go?

When I first went and I went to watch Crossy when I first retired, she gave me a ticket. I had a physical ticket. I was like, where's stand Ian? Row four. I was like, what do you mean? So you just. So ridiculous. But it goes back to you saying before you get given everything, everything gets told your whole life and then all of a sudden you've got a ticket and you're going, how do I even.

Get in the ground?

Oh, honestly, I'd hate to think if someone saw me wandering around the stadium being like, what? Where's the. I don't help.

Go to a stall to buy your own food.

And I was like, where's catering at?

I think retirement's gonna be really good for yourself.

Yeah. But like the Rugby World cup was insane. Like, I honestly got to admit the way that England get behind women's sport and whether that's with the euros that were on obviously just before the hundred the Rugby World cup, like the vibe they were able to create and the groundswell was just so cool to be a part of and it's the support for the women's game is what it deserves. It's not, you know, a token thing. It's not, oh, yay, go the woman. It's like, these are serious athletes playing some serious, good quality rugby. So, yeah, I loved it. I mean, there's still a part of me that holds out hope that maybe I could make the Blackfins team, but I'm so far past that and I would get absolutely smashed.

Yeah. I think if you're not. If you can't do cricket, I'm not sure you're going to be able to get tackled.

Yeah. Oh, look, that would be the angle. Not to get tackled as I would be on the wing and I would run as fun.

Keep running.

Even my own team, I'm just bolting.

Yeah. You've left me speechless. So if you could tell your 13 year old self anything that's a bit serious, this one, what would you tell her?

Good job for getting rid of the dreadlocks.

We need a photo of that, please.

Honestly, I'll send it to you. But you'll be like, that's not even you. And I'll be like, unfortunately it was.

Please send that so we can put it out with this podcast.

There's enough self.

Plan for retirement.

Yeah, Start doing some stuff now. Maybe pay a bit more attention in school. Maybe might be start, I don't know, honesty. It's Almost what my 13 year old self tell me now. And it's just, yeah, enjoy the game. It's why you play it. It's because you just love it. Like, you just love the game of cricket. That's why you play it despite the money and all the stress that comes with it. Whatever else, like, you genuinely, you just love the game of cricket.

We'll just swing it back, give you a bit of no balls whiplash now. So dead serious question. If we were to cannon an animal at you, what would be the biggest animal that you could catch?

How can I catch it? Like just my hair, like just.

So we're just. We're just like throwing it out of a cannon at you.

And Pez decided she was gonna hug.

It and it'd be wombat. She reckon she could like grab a wombat.

Alana King did a koala.

They're so Australian stuff. I'm like going, amenity.

What are they from? The answer.

Yeah, I'm going amenity. Oh, please.

Look, hey, tell me how you're catching that.

I'm just. I'm probably just going to lie on the ground and just hope that it lands on me. I reckon just take me just. Yeah, I don't actually know, but. Yeah, I actually don't know.

Are we back on the mattress testing there? Just lying on the ground and hope it takes you.

I just think you might as well go big, you know? What's the worst that can happen? You suffocate.

Yeah, no, we'd be there to save you. Don't worry, we're there as well.

We're firing health and safety checks.

I think the thing that would probably put me off most is. Would be the sound of the manatee getting shot at. Flubber in the, like.

I'm just gonna google what a manatee looks like because I think I've got the wrong animal in my head.

No, I got it.

Oh, my gosh. So how are you gonna catch one of them?

I mean, I'm. I mean, the last time I saw a manatee was about. Yep, no bits.

It's got a big nose.

Yeah, well, I'm not peshing.

I'd be slimy. That'd be. This is you thinking you could catch one of these bad boys?

Oh, yeah. That's actually what I look like after the game against Australia. It was very similar.

That much water retention.

I want to watch that. Yeah, I'm keen for that one.

Yeah. You might get a few calls from some animal safety groups, but I'm up for it.

Don't worry.

The least of our problems with this.

Podcast, hypothetical no balls world. It's fine.

Love it.

Well, so good luck for the rest of the tournament. Enjoy it. Be the 13 year old self that would tell you to go and enjoy it. And we will look forward to seeing you possibly in the commentary box or in a mattress store near you anytime afterwards.

Awesome.

Thanks.

Oops. Guys, loved it.

And I hope to see you sideways after your last game with amenity. Crossy. A manatee. She wants to catch a manatee out of a cannon.

She's not thought this through, has she?

A manatee. She's, you know, she's gone. Oh, I know they're big. I'm strong. I could catch one of those. Do you know how much they weigh?

I cut? I don't know, but I can imagine that they're heavy. But she is strong, Al.

They're 450 to 600 kilos.

That would kill her.

And she's saying she's gonna lie on her back and let it land on her.

She's gonna get squished. Yeah, she's gonna get squished. That's the end of Sophie Devine if we do that. I don't think we're gonna get that one through health and safety, are we?

No, that one, that, that particular one, we might not have a cannon big enough.

Yeah, true. I thought, joking aside with her at the end, that was amazing because she, she's often known for, you know, being this playful. She even said it. And she being a 37 year old kid or 36 year old kid, whatever she is. But how she spoke about her uncertainty I thought was really quite powerful because that is how everyone feels when they leave a job or leave sport or whatever it might be and transition into something different. And she. I just thought she did it really well and was just really honest about the uncertainty around it all.

Yeah, me too. I thought it's, it's the best I've seen or heard her speak for a while and also still be quite emotional. But no, she's comfortable with her decision and I think for me, how she's played cricket in this World cup has been so impressive. She's leading.

She's been amazing. Yeah. And she's like averaging 80 or something ridiculous. And she, she just, she looks free. She looks like she is being that kid that just learned to play cricket in the back garden and he's just enjoying herself.

Yeah. I thought she, I thought she spoke amazing. I think she is amazing and I actually just love her.

Yeah, she was very good. So thank you, Sophie for coming on. I actually didn't do the normal follow up text when we have a guest on. I've just completely forgot to message us. Say thank you. So I will do that today.

Yeah. I put it on my Instagram saying love this girl. Thanks.

Yeah. What a woman. So what your plans now? You might not be. You might be coming home, aren't you?

Yeah, I'll either, I'll either be in India for the rest of the World cup which hopefully, obviously, touch wood, that that will happen. I've got a visa appointment on Monday or hopefully got a visa appointment on Monday that needs to be sorted out.

Well, hopefully it all goes well at the High Commission. Is that where you're going? Yeah, the visa place. Hope that goes well and hopefully you'll be off to India on Thursday.

I reckon I will be, surely.

Fingers crossed.

Email us. Crossing.

Oh, yeah. On noblespodcastbc.co.uk.

Noballspodcastbc.Co.Uk so good. They said it twice.

Why is Jack unpinned our thing? I can't see what Jack.

30 days. It only stays there for, doesn't it? Snowballs. Here we go. You can text us on eight. Double one. Double one. And you can WhatsApp us on. It's been pinned again now on 033-01-231826 but do your line.

Wow.

Happy hangover.

Start your message with no balls or one word, please. And then we know it's for us.

Crossy, enjoy the summit. Make sure women's cricket is the topic of conversation.

It will be. Don't you worry about that. Good luck with your High Commission.

Thank you. You'll be the first to know.

Bye, everyone. Bye.

The ICC Women's Cricket World cup featuring.

The stars of women's cricket smash.

Straight back down the ground. This girl.

Eight teams takes the cap.

One winner Australia to lift the World cup trophy.

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