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Eoin Morgan's composure at press meets was impressive
In the past, English captains have been seen detesting the ‘one against all' set-ups at press conferences. But Eoin Morgan hadn't taken the course of his predecessors like David Gower and Mike Atherton when it came to facing the press, even on the most disappointing of days. Morgan's composure after his team was thumped by Australia at Lord's in the league stage was something to appreciate. He had said that his side's chances of making the semi-finals after the back-to-back defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia were "still strong". Former cricketer like Kevin Pietersen had targeted him and Jonny Bairstow's frustrating reaction to ex-players was telling but never did Morgan lose his composure. England thereafter went on to win four consecutive matches to lift the World Cup. Morgan's "Allah was with us" remark after conquering the world was no less significant, politically speaking.
SA captain du Plessis also handled media meets well
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis was another individual who impressed people at press meets. His side had a devastating start to the campaign by losing the first three games - against England, Bangladesh and India - and was left to clutch on to the pride of representing his country on the highest stage. He even said he would be lying if he overlooked the fact that SA's humiliating exit would hurt his legacy. And speaking about the Proteas not resting their players enough or that AB de Villiers had approached him far too late for a WC selection were issues that required some guts to reflect over in public. But one supposes with his career in the twilight zone, du Plessis required less diplomacy to survive the day.
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Finch's humble face was nice to see
Australian Aaron Finch was another captain who did it well in handling the press. Unlike some of the superstar Australian cricketers of the past, Finch never cared to make his appearance a larger-than-life one. Even after playing some big knocks, Finch never lost his humble being and although it was perceived to be boring for an Australian captain not carrying it with swagger, Finch left a lasting impression at the end of the day.
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The mature captain in Virat Kohli
The usually raw Virat Kohli also showed signs of maturity in this World Cup. His expressions of respect for team-mates like Mahendra Singh Dhoni even when he came under criticism showed the real captain in him. Yes, he had a couple of slips on the ground when the umpire's decision had gone against him but yet, Kohli's conduct in the press conferences was a treat to watch, especially when he answered to a little girl ahead of the England clash.