Latest news with #ProteasMenCSA
TimesLIVE
3 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
6 days ago
- 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.'
