South Africa’s fiery pacer Kagiso Rabada has expressed his excitement about facing Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s in June.
With both teams securing their spots in the final, anticipation is building for the marquee clash. Australia, the defending champions, sealed their place with a 3-1 series win against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while South Africa confirmed their qualification after a dominant 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Boxing Day Test.
Rabada’s Motivation for the WTC Final
Rabada, who has been pivotal in South Africa’s success against Australia in the past, is eager to rekindle the rivalry on cricket’s biggest stage.
“It’s actually quite some distance away, but a big occasion like the World Test Championship final gets you up for it,” Rabada told SuperSport after claiming a six-wicket haul in the second Test against Pakistan.
Despite Australia starting as favourites, Rabada remains confident. He believes South Africa’s aggressive approach can rattle the Aussies, just as it did in the previous series.
“South Africa versus Australia has always been an intense rivalry because we play cricket quite similar. We play hard—and they’re going to come hard at us, and we know that. But we also know how to beat them,” he added.
Test Cricket Still Alive and Thriving
Rabada emphasized the enduring relevance of Test cricket, particularly for South African players.
“One hundred percent, Test cricket is still alive. It’s our best format that we’ve been playing right now,” he said. “When you look at South African cricket and all our legends, they’ve all been great Test cricketers. The world’s best players are Test cricketers, and this series against Pakistan has been a wonderful advertisement for Test cricket.”
Preparations Ahead of the WTC Final
With no Test assignments before the final, South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad revealed plans to organize a one-off match against either Ireland or Afghanistan as part of their preparations.
“We’re going to try and get a Test match, possibly in the UK, against Ireland or Afghanistan, whoever is free. And if unsuccessful, we’ll obviously go out a couple of days earlier and make sure we camp there really well, probably in Canterbury,” Conrad said.
Bavuma’s Leadership Earns Praise
Conrad also praised skipper Temba Bavuma for his stellar leadership, which has played a key role in South Africa’s recent resurgence.
“He’s played unbelievably well this summer, and full marks to him,” the coach said. “I think any captain who wants to lead from the front wants to do it through performance as well, and that’s what Temba has done exceptionally well.
“He’s not lost a game as captain of South Africa, winning eight out of nine Tests. Leading from the front, turning out the performances he’s had—he’s probably in the form of his life.”
Conrad expressed full confidence in Bavuma’s captaincy and his ability to inspire the team.
“I haven’t seen him play any better, and that obviously gives you a lot of confidence when you’re captaining as well. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be captaining us,” Conrad concluded.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram
