World Test Championship final

‘You are not going to get rid of chokers tag’: Mark Boucher, claims Temba Bavuma’s South Africa can transform Test cricket with WTC Final victory | Cricket News

Danijones11 hours ago05 mins

Former South Africa cricket head coach Mark Boucher believes a victory for the Temba Bavuma-led South African team in the upcoming World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s on June 11 could revitalize Test cricket in South Africa. The team secured their first-ever WTC final appearance after winning seven consecutive Tests and topping the 2023-25 cycle points table with a 69.44 percentage.South Africa is currently preparing for the crucial one-off Test with a warm-up match against Zimbabwe at Arundel.“A lot of people have criticised South Africa, which is not really fair. You play what’s in front of you, and with all due respect, the sides that we’ve played against, we probably should have beaten, and we’ve done that. So we find ourselves in a final,” Boucher said.“But I wouldn’t say that it has got the crowds going in our country. Everyone’s very excited about it now, as the opportunity arises, a lot of people are going to travel over to London, spend all their Rands, and go watch what should be a good match. If we win it, I think that could be the turnaround for Test cricket in our country,” he added. Arshdeep Singh: The Poet Who Bowls Thunder | Stories from His Father & Coach The Lord’s clash marks the second ICC title match appearance for the men’s team following their runner-up finish in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. The women’s team has also finished as runners-up in consecutive T20 World Cups.“We’re playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can’t win], but I think it’s a different feel in Test match cricket. It’s played over a longer period of time, and you’ve just got to win big moments in the game as well. Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy,” Boucher stated.“You’re not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving of these youngsters coming through? No, it’s almost like they’re carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them, but they’re the ones in control of their futures at the moment,” he continued.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Boucher expressed confidence in opener Ryan Rickelton and batsman Tristan Stubbs for the upcoming final.“Ryan Rickelton has been playing nicely for Mumbai Indians (MI), and he was actually on the tour that we went to England (in 2022) as well. He’s actually played quite a few games in England as well, so he’ll know the conditions,” he remarked.“And Tristan Stubbs has come back and played a lot of domestic cricket and basically forced his way into the Test side because of the runs that he’s got. On paper, Australia will probably feel that they’ve got a better batting line-up than what we have, but have we got the attitude to go out there and, in a one-off game, just leave it all out there? Absolutely,” Boucher concluded.

WTC Final: Josh Hazlewood confident ahead of Lord’s clash, eyes return after injury layoff | Cricket News

Danijones13 hours ago04 mins

Josh Hazelwood (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood expressed confidence about bowling in England ahead of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on June 11. Having taken 52 wickets in 12 Tests in England at an average of 26.07, including five wickets in his recent Ashes appearance at Lord’s, Hazlewood plans to increase his pace before the crucial match.Hazlewood hasn’t played Test cricket since December 2024 at The Gabba against India due to a calf strain. Scott Boland, who replaced him, claimed a 10-wicket haul against India at Sydney, creating competition for the third seamer’s position at Lord’s.“Any time I bowl in England, I’m reasonably confident. I’ve had some good tours here over the last 10 years, and Lord’s in particular. I haven’t lost before at Lord’s yet as a player, certainly in red-ball cricket for sure, and we have had a couple of good wins there over the years.”“Today is sort of post-flight and just to get moving. I will probably nail down a few more overs tomorrow and then over the next few days, tick a lot of boxes,” Hazlewood told ICC on Saturday.Hazlewood’s recent participation in IPL 2025, where he won the title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has helped him maintain his bowling rhythm despite a minor shoulder niggle. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy “I ticked over some good overs just before the (IPL) Final in Ahmedabad in different weather than this, and it was quite a tough session. And then obviously, every time you play a game in the IPL, you’re probably going to get almost seven or eight overs in, if you really want to.”Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?“So in and around with warm-ups, and obviously the four overs in the game. And we bowled second a lot of the time in IPL, so that was sort of two warm-ups, so you can squeeze in overs here and there, and things are going pretty well.”“Everyone looks in good shape. We’ve all been in different parts of the world playing or training over the last couple of months, so it’s good to get everyone together and catch up with everyone yesterday and the day before and get all on the same page moving forward.”

WTC Final: Nathan Lyon sounds caution ahead of South Africa clash; calls Proteas top order ‘class players’ | Cricket News

Danijones15 hours ago05 mins

Nathan Lyon (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images) Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon believes facing South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on June 11 will present unique challenges despite Australia’s experience in winning ICC trophies, citing foreign conditions and Duke balls as key factors. Australia enters the match as defending champions with players who have won multiple ICC tournaments including the 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cups and 2021 T20 World Cup.The Australian team’s experience in high-pressure situations gives them an advantage, but Lyon acknowledges this may not matter on match day.“Having the experience of the guys who have won three (50-over) World Cups and T20 World Cups and obviously the World Test Championship final a couple of years ago, that experience and that pressure in those higher games, it’s going to be, it’s on our side, isn’t it, but it doesn’t mean anything when you come to the game,” Lyon said. Poll Who do you think will win the World Test Championship final? The English conditions differ significantly from Australian pitches, offering swing to bowlers rather than bounce, while the Duke balls behave differently from the Kookaburra balls used in Australia. Arshdeep Singh: The Poet Who Bowls Thunder | Stories from His Father & Coach “It’s going to be different challenge and with foreign conditions and the Dukes ball. It’s going to be two best bowling attacks going at each other which is another exciting thing so it’s going to be a good challenge for all batters,” Lyon explained.Lyon has been closely monitoring South African players’ performances, particularly in their recent tour against Zimbabwe.“I’m a cricket nuffie, so I’ve watched a fair amount of cricket and even tuned into their game at the moment against Zimbabwe,” Lyon said. “They’ve got some class players as I said with the likes of Aiden Markram, Rickelton at the top of the order there, they’re class players, there’s no point in hiding behind that fact either.”Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?The spinner specifically mentioned his experience facing David Bedingham in County cricket.“I played against Bedingham last year here in County cricket and he’s a special player, so at the end of the day it’s going to be guys who do the basics…and enjoy the pressure moments,” he stated.Lyon confirmed his recovery from a hip injury sustained during the home Test series against India.“I had a little break after Sri Lanka to try and get my hip right and now that’s all good to go,” Lyon said. “I honestly haven’t stopped training since the end of Sri Lanka and bowling wise I’ve been probably going for a good five to six weeks now.”He expressed satisfaction with his current form and preparation.“My numbers and where I’m at workload and all that stuff is where we want it and skill wise and how the ball is coming out of my hand is exactly the way I want at the moment,” Lyon concluded.