Proteas Punch Ticket To WTC Final Despite Criticism

South Africa secures Lord's berth despite uneven schedule and late-game drama

South Africa Head Coach Shukri Conrad during a test against West Indies at Gunaya National Stadium in Georgetown. Conrad brushed off criticism regarding uneven playing schedule after his sides two wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion on December 30 2024 / Daniel Prentice/Getty Images.

By Priscilla Jepchumba

South Africa has qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final despite facing criticism over an uneven playing schedule. Their dramatic two-wicket victory against Pakistan in Centurion secured their sixth consecutive Test win and a guaranteed spot in the final against either Australia or India.

Coach Shukri Conrad on post-match brushed off criticism regarding the disparity in the number of matches played by different teams in the WTC.

“People abroad will be shouting that we had an easy draw, I’m not going to apologize for that. We’re just thrilled that we can be at Lord’s next year,” Conrad said.

Despite facing challenges, including a forfeited series in New Zealand due to a scheduling conflict with a domestic T20 tournament, South Africa has shown resilience. Their recent victories in the West Indies, Bangladesh, and against Sri Lanka at home demonstrate their growing strength.

While their performance against Pakistan was far from perfect, with the match decided by a late ninth-wicket partnership, Conrad emphasized the importance of this experience for his team's growth.

 He acknowledged the pressure of the WTC but expressed confidence in his players to overcome challenges and prove their mettle in the final.

“We are so much better than we showed in this match but we want this team to never know when they are beaten and we want the opposition to know that too,” said Conrad.

On the average points system used for the championship, the South Africans are guaranteed a place in the final next June, even if they lose their last match, the second Test against Pakistan starting in Cape Town on Friday.

Conrad admitted that his team were far from their best at Centurion, needing an unbeaten ninth wicket stand of 51 between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada to secure the win.

“The WTC weighs on you, you really want to get to the final, but we need to be a lot more resilient and clinical. We saw what pressure did to some of our players but they will grow enormously from the experience,” Conrad said.

Since then, South Africa have won away series in the West Indies and Bangladesh and beaten Sri Lanka at home before scraping home against Pakistan.