Pride and friendship top McCullum's World Cup journey

On the night before the World Cup final, a bunch of inebriated New Zealand supporters who had flown over the Tasman to Melbourne stood on the sidewalk near Flinders Street Station trying to get passersby to rally with them for the Black Caps. They sang, chanted, laughed, even chided those Australians who chose to reply with a trademark "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi!".They were a band of backpacking brothers, arms locked over each others' shoulders, enjoying the cool weather and the chance to dream for one more night. The next day, the New Zealand cricket team would face the mighty Australians on their own turf, at the MCG.

They sang long into the night, shouting 'Kiwi, Kiwi!' as electric guitar covers of Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' and Oasis' 'Wonderwall' cut through the chilly Melbourne air. They stood right under my motel room, and I fell asleep to their voices.

Less than 24 hours later, those Black Caps fans would have been left hurting after their team lost to Australia at the MCG. Speaking to men and women like them, who had backed New Zealand all through the World Cup, an articulate and classy Brendon McCullum thanked his fellow New Zealanders for their support during the tournament.

"I looked in the changing room today, and the guys that we've had, we've been on an incredible journey. We've loved every single minute of it. We've created memories and friendships which will last for the rest of our lives," he said after the loss. "We've had some support from our country which we never believed was possible. We're incredibly proud of what we've been able to achieve. We ran second today, and all credit to Australia, but we walk away with our heads held high. We had Martin Crowe and John Key, our Prime Minister, in the changing room before, and they were incredibly proud of what we've been able to achieve, as well. They're just a couple of guys we've been able to share it with, and I guess we've shared this experience with the whole country. It would have been nice to have won it, but I'm sure everyone will be proud of what we've been able to achieve."

At several junctures during the tournament, McCullum has made references to these being the best days of the team's lives. The World Cup dream has ended, but McCullum knows that there is a lot more to achieve, and a lot more hard work to be put in. Reflecting on the time from when he was made captain in late 2012 and the time the World Cup began, McCullum admitted there were moments when he knew he was onto something special with this team.

"Yeah, I do. I do think that we were starting to get there," he said. "It took a lot of hard work along the way, and I don't think we're the finished product just yet, but we're certainly heading in the right direction. We've got a team full of guys who are selfless, about trying to play for New Zealand. They know that during the time that they've got, they want to make an impact, and they're prepared to buy into team plans and try and play an aggressive style of cricket. We know that that's our greatest opportunity.

"Over the last probably 12 to 18 months it's been a process of filtering that and starting to really crunch down our plans and the personnel that we wanted within the group, and I think we're starting to get there," he added. "It's hard when you've lost the final to sort of think too holistically, but I think we've made some significant changes, and we're certainly richer for the experience in terms of our - I guess in terms of our standing in world cricket. We need to keep getting better. We're not satisfied where we sit at the moment, but the way we're going is certainly the way to go about it."

McCullum's press conferences all through the tournament have been a pleasure to attend, because of his candidness and awareness of reality. He has never gotten carried away, always remained grounded and fully knowledgeable that defeat could lurk after sunrise. On Sunday as well, he was gracious in defeat but when he spoke of his team-mates, the resonance of those 'days of our lives' comments was so deep.

"I'm really proud of the guys. I thought the way that we played throughout this tournament, the brand of cricket that we've played, the way we've entertained people and I guess left nothing out there in terms of the character and attitude on the field, you know, I think it's been one hell of a ride and something that we'll remember for the rest of our lives," he said. "It would have been great to have got the silverware but it wasn't meant to be, but I think what we were able to achieve in this tournament will last for a long time. The friendships we've created, the experiences that we've had, and I guess the people that we've been able to inspire throughout the tournament is something that we're really proud of. It's never nice running second, but sometimes you've got to doff your cap to the winner."

Asked whether anyone from within his squad would retire from ODIs in the immediate future, McCullum chose to congratulate Michael Clarke on an "outstanding career" and said that the time now was to let Australia celebrate their triumph.

"There may be guys within our group who will retire. We'll let the dust settle on this one, and we certainly won't look to grab any headlines over the next couple days because they belong to Australia and they've earned the right to do so," he said. "We'll let the dust settle. We'll be gracious in defeat and then we'll work a plan over the next couple days for the some guys who may look to retire. But yeah, I think it's the right thing to allow Australia to bask in the glory of their success."

McCullum and his team won't fly home immediately. They are in Australia for a couple of more days, and will reflect further on these last six weeks. They will be greeted by well-wishers and cricket fans on the streets and wherever they go. Some will say hard luck, others will pat them on the back and say thank you. If they are greeted by fellow New Zealanders, you can bet the congratulations and thanks will be hearty, because McCullum and the Black Caps have given fans in a rugby-mad nation plenty of reasons to soar, flex their voices. It has been an unforgettable journey for New Zealand.

If you open your window, you may still hear that bunch of Kiwi fans singing.