South Africa National Cricket Team head coach Mark Boucher has shared some strong words for his young team as they prepare for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 against Australia, starting on June 11 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Mark Boucher has admitted that the pressure of the WTC Final 2025 is huge on the South Africa National Cricket Team, not just because it’s a final, but because they are also still chasing their first ICC trophy in over two decades.
They last won an ICC title in 1998; since then, they have never quite crossed the finish line. They have been carrying the painful tag of being “chokers” for years for falling short in big matches.
The Proteas side had even lost the 2024 T20 World Cup final to India despite almost coming close to the historic victory. Many times, they could not cross the semifinal hurdle.
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Well, ahead of the WTC Final 2025, Boucher admitted that the “chokers” tag still follows the team, even if it’s unfair to the current players. However, he said that they may be carrying the baggage of history, but they have the power to end the narrative once and for all.
We’re playing for a trophy: Mark Boucher ahead of WTC Final 2025
The Proteas coach has told his team that the past cannot be changed, but the future is in their hands, saying they have the chance to lift the ICC trophy for their country by crushing Australia in the WTC Final 2025 at Lord’s.
Mark Boucher said at Lord’s as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, “We’re playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can’t win], but I think it’s a different feel in Test match cricket. It’s played over a longer period of time, and you’ve just got to win big moments in the game as well.”
The coach added, “Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy. You’re not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving of these youngsters coming through? No, it’s almost like they’re carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them, but they’re the ones in control of their futures at the moment.”
Mark Boucher defends South Africa’s road to the WTC Final 2025
Meanwhile, South Africa’s road to the WTC Final 2025 hasn’t impressed everyone. Many criticized their qualification, as most of their wins came against lower-ranked teams like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, while they struggled against stronger sides like India and New Zealand.
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In contrast, Australia had a tougher route, beating top teams like India and New Zealand to secure their place in the final. Reacting to the same, Mark Boucher believes that South Africa’s qualification matters most and the criticism is totally unfair, as his team did their job by winning the matches in front of them.
Now, with the final just around the corner, excitement is growing back home, and Boucher believes that a win at Lord’s could be a turnaround for South African Test cricket.
He signed off by saying, “I wouldn’t say that it has got the crowds going in our country. Everyone’s very excited about it now; as the opportunity arises, a lot of people are going to travel over to London, spend all their rands, and go watch what should be a good match. If we win it, I think that could be the turnaround for Test cricket in our country.”
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