South Africa Gears Up for WTC Final Showdown Against Australia

South Africa is set to clash with Australia in the WTC Final 2025 at Lord’s, commencing on June 11.

South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje voiced considerable optimism on Wednesday regarding his team’s prospects of concluding their two-decade-long pursuit of an ICC title, with the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 being the target.

The highly awaited final will unfold at the renowned Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, starting June 11, pitting South Africa against the current titleholders, Australia.

Nortje, having recently returned to competitive cricket following an extended period of injury, expressed his belief that competing at Lord’s bestows a valuable edge upon South Africa.

The 31-year-old fast bowler, boasting 70 wickets from 19 Test appearances, underscored South Africa’s distinguished history at the ground as a pivotal element in their quest for victory.

“Lord’s has traditionally been a venue where we perform well,” Nortje stated to the Indian media. “South Africa’s past record there is strong. This is an exciting period for the team – a significant opportunity that everyone anticipates,” he commented.

South Africa has indeed seen success at Lord’s in recent times, securing victories in five of their last seven Test matches hosted there, including a resounding innings triumph over England in 2022.

Reflecting on the squad’s recent displays, the 31-year-old lauded head coach Shukri Conrad for cultivating a victorious team culture within the setup.

He emphasized the squad’s solidarity and adaptability, particularly following their qualification for the WTC final on the back of impressive form — clinching five series out of the last seven.

“The team has performed admirably in recent years. The coach (Shukri Conrad) has injected a great deal of positivity and implemented certain changes. The manner in which they’ve been performing has been fantastic, with everyone contributing,” he added.

Despite his absence from Test cricket since 2023, he maintains a positive outlook on South Africa’s chances.

“Everyone has delivered, often in varying combinations, but the overarching goal has been to secure victories, which is ultimately what matters,” Nortje noted.

“I believe we have an exceptional team, and I am eager to see them claim the trophy,” he concluded.

It’s worth noting that Australia secured their place in the World Test Championship 2023-25 final by triumphing over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, securing a 3-1 series victory in the 2024-25 season.

Meanwhile, South Africa has made it to the final for the first time, following a commanding 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan.