As South Africa prepares for its World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s, legendary cricketer Jonty Rhodes says the Proteas’ pace battery is unlikely to give a big advantage to the side as Pat Cummins’ team too is equally adept at handling the quick bowlers. The one-off Test will be played from June 11 to 15, with June 16 available as a reserve day if required. “Well, I don’t think so. There is no advantage to South Africa. The Australians are adept at playing pace bowling. They have a battery of fast bowling whom South African batters will be facing at Lord’s.
“So, I wouldn’t say that we have an advantage. Australians have grown up facing pace and know all about it, but it certainly is going to be a great contest,” the South African, known for his breathtaking fielding, told PTI Videos on Saturday.
South Africa’s run to the WTC final has been driven by their dominant performances, especially at home. In those matches, their potent pace attack, featuring Kagiso Rabada (37 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 19.8) and Marco Jansen (29 wickets in 7 matches), has proved to be a game changer.
Beyond the immediate focus on the WTC final, Rhodes believes that South African cricket appears to be on the cusp of a resurgence.
“You know, success breeds success. For a long time, South Africa was in the middle of the ICC rankings and it kind of showed. Rugby has a cult fan following in South Africa because we have had consecutive World Championships winning teams.
“I as a player and cricket coach in India have seen that the success of the men’s team and the women’s team has driven the popularity of the game and support for the players and the team,” said Rhodes, who is also the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fielding coach.
“I hope that cricket in South Africa will get a resurgence, one from the Test team’s performance and other from tournaments like the SA20,” he added.
At one point, it seemed rather impossible for the Proteas, with several key players unavailable and the team going through transition, to make it to the WTC summit clash.
Rhodes says the roller-coaster journey has been amazing.
“Well to win that many Test matches is pretty tough. Test cricket has certainly changed from my generation and my era when a lot of drawn matches used to happen. The way the players play these days, the game certainly goes forward very, very quickly.
“Not too many Tests last for five days. But to be able to win eight out of nine games is a spectacular performance”, Rhodes said.
“Considering that the team has changed, at one point players weren’t available. It’s amazing to see that South Africa has reached the final of the WTC,” he added.
Rhodes feels leagues like SA20 have played a vital role in reigniting interest and unearthing talent back home.
“The standard of young players coming through the ranks is pretty exciting… exciting times ahead if you are a fan of cricket in South Africa.” Rhodes, who was invited as a special guest speaker at the Viksit Bharat Youth Leaders Dialogue and National Youth Festival here, was particularly inspired by the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission.
“In a team environment or society, communication is so essential and it is not a monologue. And to actively listen to the youth of the country, is just mind-blowing. The fact that the PM’s gonna be here tomorrow, the youth of the country that will be driving the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission…” “The fact that they will get a chance to present their thoughts to the Prime Minister of the country blows me away,” he added.
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