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Apr 20, 2025 Sports CROFTY’S CRICKET CALL By Colin Croft – Former Guyana, Lancashire CCC & West Indies International Cricketer Kaieteur Sports- The ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 is not until 11–15 June next, but, for the first time, the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, home to Middlesex CCC, Marylebone CC, and the England & Wales Cricket Board, will be the venue; already very different. The first Final was played, in 2021, at the Rose Bowl, Southampton (Hampshire CCC), when New Zealand surprisingly beat India. In 2023, the Kia Oval, London (Surrey CCC), hosted when Australia beat returning finalists India.
WTC Final 2027 is also scheduled for Lord’s. Australia celebrate their 2-0 2025 Test Series win v Sri Lanka. This 3rd WTC Final will feature Australia versus first-timers Republic of South Africa (SA).
Will it be different, or, dreamily, even better than the plethora of “White Ball” cricket now being played world-wide? Only great Test cricket will answer that! I love all formats, from bumper-ball on beaches, to tantalizing Tests at cricket’s cathedrals; MCG, Melbourne; Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai; Newlands, Cape Town; Lords, London; Kensington Oval, Bridgetown; Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. NO INDIA Angry complaints are already rife, since India will not be involved.
Recently, India won ICC CT 2025 and ICC WT-20 2024. India shared ICC CT 2002 with Sri Lanka. India won ICC CT 2013 and ICC CWC 1983 and 2011.
The WTC Final is the only game that India has never won! By hearsay, ECB and Lord’s had worried about lethargy in tickets sales for AUS v SA. Tickets for ENG v AUS or ENG v IND easily sell out at Lord’s. In 2024, Test No.
1; Lord’s; ENG v WI was well attended. Who knows? SA’s supporters might also surprise us! POLITICS AND SPORTS SA is in a precarious political position. Positively, SA is in the BRICS group of developing countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and since 2010, the Republic of South Africa (SA).
Australia’s Captain Steve Smith, v Sri Lanka 2025, celebrates his 36 Test Century. BRICS is a tremendously powerful country conglomerate which controls 50% of the world’s population and 41% of the world’s economy. In 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and United Arab Emirates joined.
In 2025, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand and Uganda will connect too; probably to be called “BRICS PLUS.” The Republic of Guyana’s population is three-quarter million, compared to India’s 1.6 billion, but, with its massive economic influences world-wide, due to vast oil and mineral discoveries, the Republic of Guyana could join too, perhaps making that “BRICS PLUS PLUS.
” Anyway, SA has been quite outspoken about recent political developments in the USA. So much so, that SA’s recent Ambassador to Washington, Mr. Ebrahim Rasool, had been deemed “Personna Non-Grata” and had been given until 21 March 2025 to leave the USA.
With that political upheaval in minds, even for sportsmen, SA’s “Cricketing Ambassadors”; its Test team; will want to show that, like political BRICS counterparts, SA’s Test team can be teak tough and properly prepared to beat all-conquering Australia at its own attacking game. WINNING TOURNAMENTS SA has won only one ICC trophy ever; inaugural ICC Champions Trophy 1998 (Bangladesh); beating WI in that final. Australia won ICC CT 2006 and 2009, and ICC CWC 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023, so Australia has been extremely dominant in world cricket.
South Africa celebrate their 2025 2-0 Test Series win v Pakistan. WI won ICC CT once, miraculously, in England, in 2004, along with ICC WT-20 2012 and 2016, and ICC CWC 1975 and 1979; not a bad haul for a region with just eight million people. In its new format, only the top eight ICC-rated ODI teams will play in any ICC CT in the future.
One hopes that those new T-20, one-day, and four-day competitions now being instituted by Cricket West Indies (CWI) would properly prepare WI to return to winning ICC tournaments. REAL CRICKET That Lord’s game; AUS v SA; though, will be what is termed “real cricket” – Test cricket. How SA will fare is anyone’s guess.
Since readmission to international cricket in 1991, after being banned back in 1970, SA has been regularly called “chokers” and “under-achievers”. SA came close to beating WI in SA’s first Test match back; 1992; in Barbados. One recalls the run-out mix-up, v Australia, in ICC CWC 1999, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, when, in a strong position, SA lost that match too.
In ICC CT 2025, SA flattered, only to, again, deceive when they looked ready. SA also lost the final of ICC WT20 2024, to India, in Barbados, so SA is not accustomed to winning. Psychologically, that must weigh heavily on SA’s players’ minds.
RECENT TEST RESULTS Sports teams are as good as their reserves and SA’s Test team, on paper, always compares well to other teams. Ably led by Tempa Bavuma, SA won its last two Tests, in December 2024 and January 2025. Well rested, SA, at Lord’s, must overcome anxiety, agitation and Australia.
In Test No. 1, v Pakistan, at Centurion Park, near Pretoria, last December, SA won by two wickets. SA was better in Test No.
2, at Newlands, Cape Town, winning by ten wickets. South Africa had beaten Pakistan 2 – 0 in South Africa’s last two Test matches. South Africa’s Captain Tempa Buvuma displays the Test Series Winners Trophy (2-0) v Pakistan 2025.
Australia’s last two Tests, for the Warne – Muralitharan Trophy, in January and February 2025, under master batter Steve Smith’s captaincy, were tough too. At Galle, they beat Sri Lanka in Test No. 1 by an innings and 242 runs.
Test No 2 was harder, but Australia still won, by nine wickets. Australia had beaten Sri Lanka 2 – 0 in Australia’s last two Test matches. Two Test Teams Much franchise cricket is being played now.
Many who could play in ICC WTC Final 2025 are involved, so injury is a big concern. Australia is better prepared than SA, as Australia’s players pool is more experienced and more extensive than SA’s. SA’s reserves, though, could be the “X-Factor”, keen to strut their stuff on the international stage.
Lord’s is the right place! For its last two Tests v Pakistan, SA used Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jensen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Keshav Maharaj and Kwena Maphaka. For its last two Tests v Sri Lanka, Australia used Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (captain), Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Cooper Connoly. Neither squad has been yet selected for ICC WTC Final 2025 but rest assured that when the bell rings at Lord’s, on 11 June, South Africa and Australia will come out punching very heavily, over five days, desperate to get that ICC World Test Championship 2025 Trophy, those beautiful blazers, and fantastic finances too, for that great success.
Enjoy! Cheers!!.
