South Africa will aim to overcome its long-standing reputation as international cricket’s “serial chokers” when they face defending champions Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s this week.
Despite boasting formidable talent over the years, South Africa has secured only one major tournament victory in the last 27 years—the ICC Knockout (a precursor to the Champions Trophy) in 1998.
In stark contrast, top-ranked Australia, winners of the 2023 WTC final against India, possess an enviable record in major events, with a record six One-Day World Cups, two Champions Trophies, and a T20 World Cup title.
South Africa, however, has consistently fallen short in high-stakes matches, earning them the unwanted “chokers” label, notably losing to India in last year’s T20 World Cup final despite being in a strong position.
South Africa’s coach, Shukri Conrad, dismissed the weight of this historical tag ahead of Wednesday’s opening day of the five-day final.
“The more finals you play in, the more you improve your chances of winning. It doesn’t weigh heavily on us,” he stated.
Conrad emphasised it’s “unfair to burden this group with anything that’s gone before,” asserting that while they aim to win another ICC event, they “don’t wear that” tag.
The Proteas earned their spot in the WTC final by winning six successive matches, effectively playing “knockout” cricket after their previous setback against a weakened side in New Zealand in 2024 due to a domestic T20 competition prioritisation.
With a title within reach, South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, sees an opportunity in Australia’s decision to promote Marnus Labuschagne to open for the first time in Tests.
He believes success will hinge on the batting lineups: “I think both teams have formidable bowling attacks. The real opportunity is within the two batting lineups and how they can kind of front up and give their bowlers a score to bowl at.”
Australian captain Pat Cummins acknowledged that several South African players would be new to his team, suggesting they’d “have to problem-solve on our feet a bit more.”
The WTC format itself has faced widespread criticism, with Wisden, a respected cricket publication, calling it “a shambles masquerading as a showpiece.”
Concerns include India and Pakistan not playing Tests since 2007 due to political tensions and the nine-nation competition’s skewed nature, where teams don’t all play each other or the same number of matches.
Standings are determined by the percentage of points won. South Africa, for instance, played only 12 Tests in the current cycle, all two-match series, compared to England’s 22, and did not face either England or Australia.
Conrad, however, defended his team’s path, pointing out their wins against teams that had previously defeated cricket’s “Big Three” of India, Australia, and England.
He cited the West Indies beating Australia and New Zealand defeating India (3-0) as proof that “they are not nobody.”
This week’s match marks only the third WTC final, with New Zealand being the inaugural champions in 2021.
Despite its flaws, Pat Cummins remains firm that the WTC is a valuable prize, noting, “You’ve got to win in all different conditions to make it into this final. If we can retain that mace, that’s a pretty awesome thing for this team.”
