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NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"One Of The Tougher Decisions": Temba Bavuma On Choosing Lungi Ngidi Over Dane Paterson For WTC Final
Lungi Ngidi is set to make his return to Test cricket in the ICC World Test Championship(WTC) final at Lord's, will mark his first appearance in the format in ten months, and only his third Test under head coach Shukri Conrad. Ngidi has been named in South Africa's playing XI ahead of seamer Dane Paterson, with selectors opting for extra pace and bounce in an attack that also includes Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, and spinner Keshav Maharaj. "It was probably one of the tougher decisions that have been made," South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said at his pre-match press conference, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "We've seen what Patto (Paterson) did for us at the end of last season. But from a tactical point of view, there's a little bit more pace from Lungi. He is taller as well," he added. Lord's is known for its unique slope, and height is often seen as a valuable asset for fast bowlers. All of Australia's quicks stand over 1.90 metres tall, and South Africa have matched that with Jansen (2.06m) and Ngidi (1.93m). Mulder, the shortest of the quicks on either side at 1.85m, offers a medium pace with subtle movement, but his bowling style was considered too similar to Paterson's for both to be included in a line-up aiming for variety. "Lungi has the experience. He's played here before - not that Patto hasn't, but Lungi complements that bowling attack a little bit more," Bavuma said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "We have a guy like Mulder as well, who kind of gives you something similar to what Patto can do. But I think that was probably one of the difficult decisions that we had to make," he added. Though Ngidi has experience at Lord's, having played there against England in 2022, his impact in that match was limited, he bowled 12 overs across two innings and picked up 1/27. Since then, he has featured in only two Tests in the past 18 months and did not play any red-ball cricket last summer. On Monday, Ngidi was seen training under the watchful eye of England legend Stuart Broad, alongside Rabada, Jansen, and Mulder. His most recent first-class outing came in August last year, during South Africa's Test against West Indies, where he bowled 16.5 overs and took 1/51. Since November 2022, Ngidi has bowled more than ten overs in an innings only twice, both in Tests and has struggled with a series of injuries. A groin issue sidelined him from mid-November 2024 to January 2025. This year, Ngidi played five matches in the SA20 league and featured in all of South Africa's Champions Trophy fixtures. He also bowled two overs in a rain-hit warm-up match against Zimbabwe in Arundel. However, there remain question marks over his ability to maintain effectiveness in prolonged spells, particularly the third, fourth, and fifth spells that may be required in the final. By contrast, Dane Paterson had proven his durability over the past season. He delivered 68 overs in the two home Tests he played during the 2024-25 summer, claiming 13 wickets at an impressive average of 16.92. However, team management's desire to bolster the batting line-up and strike a better balance in the bowling attack has ultimately worked against him. At 36, Paterson is approaching the end of his international career and has not been named in the squad for the upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe later this month. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Int'l Cricket Council
3 days ago
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Bavuma: 'To be regarded as a top cricketing nation, we have to be in these situations'
Temba Bavuma has not shied away from stirring emotions in the build-up to South Africa's first appearance in an ICC World Test Championship Final, but now the game face is on. The Proteas skipper is acutely aware of his side's reputation as the bridesmaids rather than the brides at ICC major events, with a runners-up finish at last year's Men's T20 World Cup the latest in a long line of near misses. But South Africa have arrived at Lord's with a squad largely free of baggage from those historic occasions and Bavuma hopes that freedom will help them write their own story at Lord's. 'A lot of it (pre-match talk) has been emotive, understanding what the occasion is about, being at Lord's,' he said. 'From a motivation point of view, there is not much I can do. If players need to be motivated, that would be a problem. 'We just have to play what is in front of us, not get caught up too much in the story of what could be, and be ready for what is to come. 'For us to remain competitive and be regarded as a top cricketing nation, we have to be in these situations. 'Getting over the line is part of the whole story. For this bunch of players, for Shukri, it would be a massive feather in our caps. It would be special for a lot of people in a lot of different ways. 'We always speak about excellence, doing something special for the country and each other. Here is another opportunity for us to do that.' Bavuma will bat at four this week, with Wiaan Mulder a spot above him at three – a role the all-rounder occupied for the first time against Pakistan at Newlands in January. Lungi Ngidi has been preferred to Dane Paterson in South Africa's other selection dilemma, with Bavuma banking on the 29-year-old's extra pace to prove a point of difference. 'It was one of the tougher decisions, we saw what Patto did for us at the end of last season,' he said. 'It was more from a tactical point of view, there is probably a bit more pace from Lungi, he is taller as well. Lungi has a good record and he will complement the attack – we have Mulder, who gives us something a bit more similar to Patto with the ball. 'Mulder is quite young in that position (No.3) but having played with him, having seen the way he has grown in the last two years within the red-ball environment, it is about giving him confidence, backing him and allowing him to do what he does best. 'He has an opportunity in a pressure situation, and he can take comfort from the fact the guys are backing him to go out and play his game.' The Lord's showpiece marks the first Test meeting between these two sides since South Africa's tour of Australia in 2022/23. While it was a trip Bavuma would rather forget – the hosts ran out comfortable 2-0 winners – he earmarked it as a vital moment in his side's evolution. 'For a lot of us who were there, it was an eye-opener,' he said. 'We were always under pressure and you had to find ways to exert pressure back on them. 'It gave me an opportunity to look at my game and see where I can improve, and try and emulate the performances those batters were putting up at that point in time. 'In terms of the way we want to play our cricket, it influenced that. A guy like Shukri (Conrad) coming in, it was the right time, he encourages guys to be themselves and play their best cricket. 'It was a critical point in our journey as cricketers. Hopefully those memories are behind us and we can create some new ones now.' South Africa XI to play Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi ENDS
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bavuma urges South Africa to 'do something special' in World Test Championship final
Temba Bavuma has not shied away from stirring emotions in the build-up to South Africa's first appearance in an ICC World Test Championship Final but now the game face is on. The Proteas skipper is acutely aware of his side's reputation as the bridesmaids rather than the brides at ICC major events, with a runners-up finish at last year's Men's T20 World Cup the latest in a long line of near misses. Advertisement But South Africa have arrived at Lord's with a squad largely free of baggage from those historic occasions and Bavuma hopes that freedom will help them write their own story at Lord's. 'A lot of it (pre-match talk) has been emotive, understanding what the occasion is about, being at Lord's,' he said. 'From a motivation point of view, there is not much I can do. If players need to be motivated, that would be a problem. 'We just have to play what is in front of us, not get caught up too much in the story of what could be, and be ready for what is to come. 'For us to remain competitive and be regarded as a top cricketing nation, we have to be in these situations. Advertisement 'Getting over the line is part of the whole story. For this bunch of players, for Shukri, it would be a massive feather in our caps. It would be special for a lot of people in a lot of different ways. 'We always speak about excellence, doing something special for the country and each other. Here is another opportunity for us to do that.' Bavuma will bat at four this week, with Wiaan Mulder a spot above him at three – a role the all-rounder occupied for the first time against Pakistan at Newlands in January. Lungi Ngidi has been preferred to Dane Paterson in South Africa's other selection dilemma, with Bavuma banking on the 29-year-old's extra pace to prove a point of difference. Advertisement 'It was one of the tougher decisions, we saw what Patto did for us at the end of last season,' he said. 'It was more from a tactical point of view, there is probably a bit more pace from Lungi, he is taller as well. Lungi has a good record and he will complement the attack – we have Mulder, who gives us something a bit more similar to Patto with the ball. 'Mulder is quite young in that position (No.3) but having played with him, having seen the way he has grown in the last two years within the red ball environment, it is about giving him confidence, backing him and allowing him to do what he does best. 'He has an opportunity in a pressure situation and he can take comfort from the fact the guys are backing him to go out and play his game.' Advertisement The Lord's showpiece marks the first Test meeting between these two sides since South Africa's tour of Australia in 2022/23. While it was a trip Bavuma would rather forget – the hosts ran out comfortable 2-0 winners – he earmarked it as a vital moment in his side's evolution. 'For a lot of us who were there, it was an eye-opener,' he said. 'We were always under pressure and you had to find ways to exert pressure back on them. 'It gave me an opportunity to look at my game and see where I can improve, and try and emulate the performances those batters were putting up at that point in time. 'In terms of the way we want to play our cricket, it influenced that. A guy like Shukri (Conrad) coming in, it was the right time, he encourages guys to be themselves and play their best cricket. Advertisement 'It was a critical point in our journey as cricketers. Hopefully those memories are behind us and we can create some new ones now.' South Africa XI to play Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Ngidi picked over Paterson as SA finalise squad for World Test Championship final
South Africa and Australia have both gone with all-rounders at first-drop for the World Test Championship final. Lungi Ngidi has cracked the nod for the World Test Championship (WTC) final over Dane Paterson as the Proteas prepare to do battle with Australia from tomorrow at Lord's Cricket Ground. Ngidi will steam in alongside Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen as the quicks, while Keshav Maharaj will provide support with his left-arm orthodox spin. 'I mean, probably one of the tougher decisions that have been made,' Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday about the decision to choose Ngidi ahead of Paterson. 'We've seen what Patto did for us toward the end of last season. But I think it was more from a tactical point of view, probably a little bit more pace from Lungi, comes from a taller angle. 'I think Lungs also has a good record, not taking away anything from Patto. He has the experience, he's played here before, not that Patto hasn't. But I think he will complement that bowling attack a little bit more.' The other big decision for the Proteas to make was who would bat at the crucial No 3 spot. They have opted for all-rounder Wiaan Mulder to come in after Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton, who will open the batting. Mulder also offers medium pace bowling as a fourth seamer option for Bavuma. 'We have a guy like Mulder as well who kind of gives you something similar to what Patto can do,' the captain said. The rest of the batting lineup is as expected with Bavuma saying he would come in at four followed by Tristan Stubbs and David Bedingham, with keeper Kyle Verreynne coming in at seven. Aussie XI The Australians also have an all-rounder at No 3 with Cameron Green slotted to come in at first-drop. Green, however, won't play a role with the ball as he continues to recover from a back injury. Marnus Labuschagne, whose position in the side has been under fire, will move one position up from his normal spot to accommodate Green and open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja. The rest of the lineup is filled with superstars, with Steve Smith and Travis Head holding up the middle order and all-rounder Beau Webster slated to come in at six. Alex Carey will keep wickets and bat at seven. Australia's bowlers are their reliable group, consisting of skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood. 'There's a few unknowns,' Cummins said about what he expects from the Proteas at the pre-match press conference. 'We've probably played about half the guys before, but half the guys we haven't… which is exciting. Their bowlers we have seen a little bit of and are an obvious threat.' DM
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Temba Bavuma announces South Africa's playing XI for WTC final vs Australia; RCB speedster gets a look in
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, on Tuesday, revealed the team's combination for the World Test Championship final against Australia, which will begin on June 11 at the Lord's. The Proteas picked Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowler Lungi Ngidi in the playing XI ahead of the in-form Dane Paterson. Ngidi will form the bowling line-up alongside Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and solitary full-time spinner Keshav Maharaj. "Probably one of the tougher decisions that has been made. We see what Dane Paterson did for us to the end of last season," Bavuma explained the notion behind the Ngidi move. 'But it was more from a tactical point of view. Probably a little bit more pace from Lungi, guess he's a bit taller as well. "Lungi also has a better record, not taking away anything from Patto. He (Ngidi) has the experience, he's played here before, not that Patto hasn't. "But I think he (Ngidi) will complement that bowling attack a little more. We have a guy like Mulder, who can give us something similar like Patto. "It was probably one of the difficult decision we had to make." Another notable pick in the playing XI was sticking with Wiaan Mulder at No.3 after his recent exploits in the series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. "Mulder is quite young in that position. But I think having played with Mulder, having seen him and the way he has grown in the last two years within the red-ball format,' Bavuma said. 'It's about giving him a lot more confidence, keep backing him and just allowing him to do what he does best. "He has an opportunity in a pressure situation, but I think he can take comfort from the fact that the guys are backing him. We just want him to play his game." South Africa playing XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verrynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi. Since 1991, South Africa has lost just once at Lords, won five and drawn a solitary match, boasting an impressive success ratio. Meanwhile, the defending champions, Australia, have churned out 18 wins from 40 matches, having a detailed view of how the conditions at the venue play out. Pat Cummins-led Australia will be looking to retain the mace that they claimed after defeating India in the previous edition of the World Test Championship Final at the Oval in June 2023. Australia hasn't lost a Test series in the past two years, winning away in New Zealand and Sri Lanka while retaining the Ashes in England in 2023. They also defeated Pakistan and India at home, along with a draw against the West Indies, to secure a spot in the WTC decider against the Proteas.
