Latest news with #ProteasMen
TimesLIVE
21 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Stuart brings Broad insights to Proteas ahead of Lord's finale
Stuart Broad, in Proteas training kit — you'd never have thunk it. Not when he was irritating South African supporters, or dismissing their faves, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, more than any other bowler did with those two. Or sledging Graeme Smith or anyone else for that matter. But there Broad was on a muggy Monday afternoon at Lord's leading the chat in the Proteas bowling unit's traditional circle before training, embracing Dane Paterson, who played at his county Nottinghamshire for a couple of seasons, and talking with Kyle Verreynne, who plays for Nottinghamshire now. Generally he just looked like one of the training staff, which on Monday he was. South Africa are seeking any titbit to try to narrow the huge advantage the Australians have in terms of experience heading into the World Test Championship final that starts at Lord's on Wednesday. A taste of training at the Home of Cricket 🔥💪. We're 2 days away from the #WTC Final, and our Proteas are locked in and ready for the ultimate challenge. 🏏 #WTCFinal #WozaNawe #ProteasWTCFinal — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 9, 2025 At the invitation of Shukri Conrad, Broad on Sunday night shared his wisdom with Proteas coaching staff at dinner. 'The rib-eye was good,' Conrad chirped, 'I didn't consume any of the red wine for obvious reasons.' 'If I didn't call time with him at 10.30pm, I think he would still be there chatting with us. It was enlightening, very casual, everyone walked away from there thinking that was great, Broady included,' said Conrad. Later with the bowlers training on the side of the square, Broad had all the bowlers hanging off his every word, pointing to different areas of the storied old venue, indicating animatedly how a particular batter's balance might be affected when facing at each end because of the slope. The bowling unit is South Africa's strength. But there are many factors to consider when combining that unit for the final. It starts with how many SA will pick — four or as seems likely five, with Wiaan Mulder, offering the extra option because he can swing it. Then there's the conditions; the Lord's pitch according to the Australians is dry and will aid spin. Conrad didn't sound as convinced, but spoke of the importance of playing the spinner. Temba Bavuma reflects on his Test journey 🇿🇦. From the nerves of his debut to the defining moments that have shaped his career, it is a story of growth, resilience, and pride 🏏🔥. #WTCFinal #WozaNawe #ProteasWTCFinal — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 9, 2025 With Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen locked in and Keshav Maharaj having to play because it would be too much of a risk — even for the occasionally eccentric Conrad — not to, it leaves a straight fight between Lungi Ngidi and Paterson for the third front-line seamer. Conrad, who in the past hasn't been afraid of naming his starting team two days before the start of a Test, was tight-lipped on Monday. 'I'm not (in a position to name the side),' he said. Instead he offered a rounded answer about the ball — the Dukes one, used in England and not by either Australia or SA, who use the Kookaburra at home and for international matches in their respective countries — as another important factor to consider in selection. There's the importance of using it well when it's new, then when the lacquer, which is different between the two balls, starts to come off the Dukes, it swings more than the Kookaburra. 'You still need guys who are as effective with that ball when the lacquer comes off and it tends to swing a bit more. The bounce here with the older ball can be inconsistent and slower than what we are accustomed to.' Free State's relegation confirmed after mediation with CSA Free State will play in Division Two next season after a mediation process with Cricket SA ended on Wednesday night, with the union not incurring any ... Sport 3 days ago If swing is the dominant factor for SA's thinking, then Paterson, who's spent the last two months playing for Middlesex — making Lord's his home ground — wins the day. If the bounce is deemed more important — as was the case when Australia beat England in 2023 — then Ngidi will play. 'Those are conversations that have happened and we will structure the bowling attack accordingly,' said Conrad. Ngidi hasn't always been a favourite of Conrad's because he doesn't bowl as quickly as Conrad believes he should, coupled with concerns about his fitness. On the latter, Conrad said he was impressed by Ngidi's improvement in that area. Ngidi's last Test was in Trinidad last year and while he's been absent first with injury and then because he was put on a strength and conditioning programme, Paterson took the chance to claim two five-wicket hauls, while Rabada, Jansen and Maharaj, have continued to underline their class, which is demonstrated by all three being ranked in the top 20 Test bowlers currently. Broad may not be a selector, but it would be no surprise that if before ditching the Proteas training kit on Monday, he had one last word with Conrad, that may swing the head coach's thinking. It wouldn't be the weirdest basis for a selection Conrad's made.
TimesLIVE
7 days ago
- General
- TimesLIVE
Aussies also have insecurities, says Proteas' Stubbs ahead of WTC final
Tristan Stubbs admits he trod carefully around the Australian players at the Indian Premier League (IPL), but detected that the levels of anxiety the South African players have for the World Test Championship (WTC) final are also shared by those likely to don the 'baggy green' at Lord's. 'The biggest thing is they are also human. They have the same thoughts we have. Sometimes you forget that, because they've won so many big games. They're also a bit nervous — don't use that in a headline,' Stubbs said with a smile. 'I get from them that they have the same fears and that bodes well. They also have their insecurities.' Stubbs played alongside Jake Frasier-McGurk (not part of the WTC squad), with whom he's become good friends, and Mitchell Starc for the Delhi Capitals at the IPL, giving him an insight into Australia's thinking. 'There was a little bit of chat. I've been trying to do it subtly, trying to get as much information as I can. They are pumped for it — like we're pumped for it.' — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 2, 2025 The dynamic for modern players is very different from what was the case 20 years ago, when Australia were still truly dominant. However, because of the growth of T20 Leagues, which sees players from different countries mix for weeks at a time, South Africa's own success — which included winning three consecutive series Down Under — means that much of Australia's aura has faded. Stubbs' generation know they need not shrink when coming up against Australia, even if they continue to be a successful team that currently holds both the ODI and Test world titles. 'I've played in a lot of big games — knockout games, a World Cup final — you get different nerves and I've learnt to manage them. Sometimes you're flipping nervous and you need to deal with it,' he said. Aussies will definitely sledge Rabada, Markram believes 'Behind the scenes the team must rally behind him and make sure his prep is good and he is focusing.' Sport 2 days ago Getting his preparation right for Lord's has already included hours spent in the nets at the IPL getting his defensive rhythm and mindset in tune to bat for hours and not a few overs. Shukri Conrad caused a surprise last year when he declared Stubbs would be the Proteas' Test No 3. He outlined Stubbs' technique and imposing presence at the crease as reasons for that decision. But Stubbs has since only batted at that spot in half of his Test innings, shifting to No 4 last summer. Initially it happened in the Durban Test against Sri Lanka, when Wiaan Mulder, after breaking his finger, felt the best he could offer the Proteas was to bat early in the second innings, before the swelling worsened. Stubbs made a crucial 122 to help South Africa to a victory in that match. Heading into Lord's, Conrad is weighing up other options for the No 3 position — continuing with Mulder, who Conrad mentioned had the technique to bat at first drop — or Tony de Zorzi, usually an opener but a player who can bat at No 3. Proteas with Purpose 🇿🇦🏏 Ahead of their World Test Championship Final at Lord's, the Proteas Men took a powerful pause to uplift the youth at a Cricket 4 Good coaching clinic. Sharing skills, wisdom, and heart! #WTC25 #WTCFinal #ProteasWTCFinal — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) June 3, 2025 It appears that Stubbs will continue at No 4, which he doesn't mind. 'Throughout my career, in every team I've played for, I've had different roles. It's nothing new. One day I'm batting 3, then I'm batting 6 — I don't mind. If it helps the team with whatever it needs, I can mould my game to that role.' At No 3 Stubbs averages 44.71 — but those eight innings were played on slow, largely batting-friendly tracks in the Caribbean and Bangladesh. At No 4 his average drops to 23.37 — but two of those innings were played on the 'minefield' produced at Newlands in 2024, when the second Test against India finished in less than two days. Lord's won't hold such peril. 'Any Test is hard to win. It's not like you have a crazy 20 minutes and lose a game. You can still find a way back,' he said. 'Last year's World Cup final, everything happened so quickly. But this is a Test match, you've got to graft well for five days to win. There is that sense of calm, knowing you have to do that for a long time.'
TimesLIVE
01-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Aussies will definitely sledge Rabada, Markram believes
'Behind the scenes the team must rally behind him, and make sure his prep is good and he is focusing' Long before he tested positive for taking a recreational drug, Kagiso Rabada, was going to be a central figure in the build up to the World Test Championship final. Now he has that cloud hanging over his head, everyone, including Rabada's teammates, expect the Australians to remind him of his indiscretion. 'I'm sure [the Australians] will 'talk' to him. It comes with the job. Whenever people can have a dig, they will have a dig,' said Aiden Markram, who has played with Rabada since the pair were schoolboys. Former Proteas captain, Graeme Smith agreed. 'Unfortunately when you make a mistake it comes with pressures of embarrassment, what people say about you and all that sort of crap. He will have to find a way to mentally deal with that.' A proud and memorable Castle Lager send-off: a celebration of unity, passion, and unwavering support for our Proteas Men as we look toward the ICC World Test Championship Final 🇿🇦🏏🍻. #WTC25 #WozaNawe #ProteasWTCFinal #BePartOfIt #CastleLager — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) May 31, 2025 In that controversial 2018 series, which ended with the Australians scratching the ball with sandpaper, it was Rabada who was targeted in the second Test, when Steve Smith, knowing the SA spearhead was one charge away from a suspension, initiated contact between the pair. The infamous 'shoulder barge' of the then Australian captain, indeed led to Rabada incurring a suspension, which would have been served in third Test until Dali Mpofu helped win an appeal which overturned the sanction. The Australians were furious and their anger played a small role in the controversy that followed at Newlands. Six years later the heat between the two teams, which had built up during a decade of intense series's, has cooled. Although a few protagonists remain from 2018 — including Rabada, Smith and current Australian captain, Pat Cummins — much of the bitterness from that era has passed. 'Players on both teams have played cricket with each other somewhere and that creates a different dynamic because you get to know the person and then it becomes hard to be crude towards someone,' said Markram, who made two centuries in that series. Nevertheless Rabada certainly expects some chirps to be directed his way at Lord's. 'Any type of verbal abuse, or if the media want to say something, that's normal, that's the field we play in. You can't be ignorant to it, you have to be aware. I don't think it is anything that is going to slow me down,' Rabada said last Friday. 'We've obviously chatted,' said Markam. 'Mentally, KG is one of the strongest people I know. He's dealt with this well in his own personal space. We trust that fully. You're talking about KG, one decision or whatever happened doesn't change anything about the person, what he's achieved and him as a person. We've come a long way. I feel I can see it in his eyes. To me, it looks like he will be completely fine.' Rabada said he 'owed' it to his teammates to address them about his positive test, but said that in the limited interaction he's had with some, he could feel their support for him. Smith said that would be important in the build-up to the final. 'Behind the scenes the team must rally behind him, and make sure his prep is good and he is focusing on the right things,' said the former Proteas skipper. 'He has an opportunity to bounce back and to make the most of it. He's going to be a key figure. Everyone will be looking at him. Even if he doesn't get the wickets that he might like to get, it will be about his performance driving other people forward as well.'
TimesLIVE
31-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Legends offer stirring reminder of what's at stake for Bavuma and Co at Lord's
It's unlikely the Proteas didn't understand the magnitude of what awaits them at Lord's in a fortnight, but just in case, a few legends gave them a send-off on Friday that indicated how much winning the World Test Championship would mean to South African cricket. From Makhaya Ntini telling Kagiso Rabada he'd happily give him his 'ten-for' from 2003 to Vernon Philander explaining how the Dukes ball worked and how the famous slope could be managed, Temba Bavuma and his teammates were given a rundown of what playing in that match against Australians means. 'I've been spending a week at home and before this event I was quite mellow, but hearing the past players speak like that, it just kick-starts everything. You can hear how proud they are, but also how desperate they are for us to get a trophy for South Africa,' said opener Aiden Markram. 'It gets the beans going, creates a fire in the belly. We'll have to manage that well. It's still a long way away from ball one. It's important to take those feelings in and acknowledge them,' Markram added. Hard at work, the Proteas skipper prepares for the contest of the Ultimate Test as the final of the ICC World Test Championship draws near. 🏏🔥💪 #WTC25 #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #ProteasWTCFinal — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) May 21, 2025 The Proteas' greatest player, Jacques Kallis, a hero to many in the current squad focused on how he didn't have a good record at Lord's as if to highlight that even the best have off days — though he did offer a reminder that it was his catch in 2012 which secured the series against England allowing Graeme Smith, who was also in attendance at the departure event, to lift the ICC Test mace. 'The preparation will be key,' said Smith. 'You need to get over the aura of Lord's, go there a few days before the match, walk around the Pavilion, sit in that changeroom look at the honours board, try to have lunch, visit the museum and then you can be locked in for the match.' The Proteas jetted to London on Friday night and will head to Arundel south of London, where they will have a training camp and then play a four-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe before heading to the capital. They will face Pat Cummins' side, who are the defending champions, in the third WTC final from June 11. In a break from the norm, the Lord's clash is a one-off encounter unlike what is normally the case in the Test format, where a series decides the victor. Markram acknowledged that it was strange that the format's biggest prize would be decided by one match, but felt South Africa's experience from playing so many two-match series of late might be beneficial. 'Even in those two-match series you know you can't afford to lose the first one because then you can't win the series. There is a similarity we can draw from that, I guess. Every hour is an important hour, if you give it your best over each hour, you see where that gets you.' Happy Birthday To The Proteas Test Captain Temba Bavuma 🎂. The owner Of Jasprit Bumrah 🔥. — Yash Jain (@yashjain4163) May 17, 2025 Smith said the one-match shoot-out was in fact better for the Proteas. 'There is absolutely no doubt that South Africa are underdogs, so a one-off game suits us. Australia is a good team, they've been consistent for a long period of time. A one-off Test, if we get our preparation right and everyone arrives ready, anything can happen,' said the former Proteas skipper. 'South Africa has match-winners that can get them into the game, and set up a victory.' Australian coach Andrew McDonald described having his players dotted around the world as a 'muddled mess', though he seemed hopeful that it wouldn't affect their preparation. McDonald's counterpart, Shukri Conrad, will count it as a small win that he can have all the players together for two weeks, which will allow them to dust off whatever cobwebs there may be and to properly get attuned to Test cricket after a number of them have been involved in the IPL recently.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Proteas and Castle Lager reunite long-standing relationship for Lord's ICC World Test final
The Proteas Test squad will be sponsored by Castle Lager in the World Test Championship final at Lord's. Picture: Supplied. In an exciting development for South African cricket, Castle Lager has been unveiled as the official team sponsor for the Proteas Men during the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final, taking place from 11-15 June at the famed Lord's Cricket Ground in London. This collaboration between Castle Lager, the flagship beer brand of South African Breweries (SAB), and Cricket South Africa (CSA) reflects a deep-rooted connection with the sport and showcases a commitment to the national team as they contend for cricketing supremacy. As part of this sponsorship, Castle Lager will prominently feature on the leading sleeve of the Proteas' playing kit for the highly anticipated match. CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, 'CSA is pleased to welcome Castle Lager as the official team sponsor for the ICC World Test Championship Final. The show of support for the Proteas Men reaffirms Castle Lager's long-standing and consistent support of South African cricket.'
