We need to talk about: Kane Williamson

So much has been written about the New Zealand cricket captain in the aftermath of one of the most dramatic cup finals the sport has ever produced. He's been praised for his calmness under pressure, his grace in defeat and for basically being a near-perfect specimen of homo sapien. 

All of which makes me wonder what might have happened had he walked when he nicked the ball to the keeper in a crucial game against South Africa? Surely then he would have been elevated to the pantheon of the cricketing gods, seated on the left side of Bradman (Sachin’s on the right, obvs) with his blue eyes, immaculate beard and beatific smile? 

But Williamson didn’t walk, and instead went on to score a century and win a key game. And this is probably a very good thing, because it proves he is as human as the rest of us. 

There's no doubt he's a fine leader; and the way he goes about his business, both on the field and off it, suggests that he's a thoroughly decent man. But when he spoke about fine margins that led to their loss in the finals, did he also recall the extra fielder outside the circle when Dhoni was on strike in the semi? 

Admittedly, the manner of their finals defeat (if indeed it can be called defeat) was desperately unlucky. But given their overall performance throughout the tournament, Williamson will likely admit that they were also pretty lucky to have been in the final at all. 

This was a world cup of so many twists of fate - those pesky fine margins again - Brathwaite going for six with a run required just as he did three years ago but this time falling short; Stokes putting those demons of three years ago behind him and finally winning a cup; Guptill breaking India’s hearts by running out Dhoni in the semis only to be run out himself in the final; Dhoni trying valiantly to recreate the glory of 2011 but finding only mortality instead. 

And in the middle of the melee on that singularly dramatic summer evening at Lord's, Williamson stood alone. He looked shell-shocked, but writ across his face was also an acceptance that in sport, just as in life, you win some and you lose some. 

Professional sportsmen and women know this better than most, but it’s a lesson all of us would do well to remember.