South Africa have lost five Cricket World Cup semi-finals – and never reached the final. South Africa lost the 2024 T20 World Cup final. South Africa have lost five Champions Trophy semi-finals – and won the title once.
This month’s World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s in London, England, is another opportunity for South Africa to win an International Cricket Council tournament title.
“A lot of people have criticised South Africa, which is not really fair,” former Proteas head coach Mark Boucher told ESPNcricinfo.
“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. 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 then that could be the turnaround for Test cricket in our country.
“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.
“You’re not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving on 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.”
South Africa’s squad for the WTC final includes batsman Ryan Rickelton, who head coach Shukri Conrad has confirmed will open the batting. Whether batsman Tristan Stubbs is selected in the middle order remains in the balance.
“Ryan Rickelton has been playing nicely for Mumbai Indians 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,” added Boucher.
“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.”
The WTC final will start on Wednesday. Australia are the reigning WTC title holders. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC title in 2021.
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