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CRICKET NEWS – Kagiso Rabada is once again the No.1 bowler in red-ball cricket according to the ICC world rankings, but as much as he believes Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game, South Africa’s spearhead says winning the World Test Championship is not at the top of his bucket list.
The Proteas, whose inability to win a limited-overs World Cup has baffled cricket-lovers around the globe, are in position to make the World Test Championship final next year, even though they are currently lying fifth in the standings with a win percentage of 54.17.
But their last four Tests in this cycle are all at home and winning all of those games, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, will lift that figure to 69.44%, which will guarantee them a place in the final at Lord’s from 11-15 June next year.
A couple of draws and two wins could also be enough, depending on the results of the Tests between Australia and India and New Zealand and England.
In the last calendar year, South Africa have come closest to breaking their World Cup hoodoo, reaching the semi-finals of the 50-over event last November in India and making the final of the T20 tournament in the West Indies and USA in June 2024.
They seemed on-course to win that final against India, but superb bowling at the death, led by Jasprit Bumrah, saw them fall short by just seven agonising runs.
Rabada, who reached 300 Test wickets in the least-ever number of balls during the recent 2-0 series win in Bangladesh, has said previously that individual milestones are not his main motivation, but winning a World Cup for South Africa is his chief goal.
But, in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom at his home ground of the Wanderers, Rabada said claiming the World Test Championship crown would not scratch that itch, even though the longest format is his favourite.
“The T20 World Cup was extremely heartbreaking, but I feel we rose to the occasion,” Rabada told SportsBoom.com.
“We are edging closer and closer to winning a World Cup and it’s just a matter of making that last, full step. But it was nice to be in that moment, we now know what it takes. You need a bit of luck as well.”
“But having that experience is important, coming so close under high pressure, experiencing that will be invaluable going forward. I think the lesson we take from that final is not to over-complicate things, but the lessons will apply to each individual differently. But there was so much agony and once you feel it, you can’t unfeel it.”
“Winning the World Test Championship would not completely satisfy me, although I would still be very proud, and it would be amazing to do it. But the 50-over World Cup has so much value and history; the World Test Championship is not there yet, it’s a new thing.”
“For me, winning the ODI World Cup is the holy mecca. You lose one game in the playoffs there and you’re gone. Whereas the World Test Championship is about who the best team is over a two-year period. We are now at crunch time in that tournament,” Rabada said.
Trying to decipher the South African team’s resting policies can at times feel like picking through dirty laundry, but the 29-year-old Rabada is frank about the management of his workloads, which has seen him sitting out the current T20 series against India.
“I’ve learnt to listen and understand my body better and I know I won’t feel the same as I did in my early twenties. I’ve bowled a lot of overs and it’s been a high workload.”
So, looking at my path moving forward, I’m going to prioritise Test and ODI cricket.
“It’s not just about physical fatigue but also mental, and I believe it’s the smart decision to preserve myself. It also gives opportunities for others to step up and come through.”
“But Test cricket is the best and all the greats played that. Even the most dominant T20 players, they play Test cricket. It’s the hardest and best format,” Rabada said.
With 313 wickets in 66 Tests at an average of just 21.49, 157 ODI wickets in 101 matches while conceding a touch over five runs-an-over, and 71 scalps in 65 T20 Internationals, it is easy to think Rabada is at his peak.
But the athletic U19 World Cup winner says there is still room for improvement.
“I don’t know if I’m at my best yet. I just want to keep pushing the limits. It could sound crazy, but I believe you never know how much you can get out of yourself.”
And, given that he is now clearly one of the strongest leaders in the Proteas set-up, what about captaincy?
“Taking more of a leadership role has come naturally really, it’s the circle of life and I’ve been in the Proteas team now for nine years. I’ve just taken it in my stride and I’m happy to be one of the leaders. I feel it’s something I’m meant to take on and I’m not shy about it.”
“It’s a natural process when you consider the experience and knowledge that I’ve gained. So, I’m willing to express myself and pass down that knowledge, when there are people who want to hear it. It’s because I have a lot of care for this team, why wouldn’t I want to be involved in the decision-making?”
“As far as the actual captaincy goes, I have thought of it. Pat Cummins actually asked me about it, and he said he found it difficult to separate it from playing his own game. He said as a bowler, you need a lot of assistance to be captain.”
“But it’s something I would not rule out, but I won’t be strongly advocating for it. It must just happen naturally,” Rabada said.
Caring for the Proteas and their performance comes naturally too for Rabada.
As does his undiluted passion for the game: The fifth-leading wicket-taker in South Africa’s Test history insisted on conducting this interview sitting outside on the balcony of the president’s lounge at the Wanderers, so he could watch the progress of his Central Gauteng Lions domestic team as they opened their four-day campaign.
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