As South Africa prepares for one of the most important matches in its Test cricket history, star batter Aiden Markram has revealed his hope that 2025’s recurring theme of sporting droughts being broken might continue at Lord’s.
Aiden Markram on South Africa’s WTC 2025 final hopes
The Proteas will face Australia, the defending World Test Championship (WTC) holders, in the Final beginning June 11. Markram, one of South Africa’s most composed and consistent performers, sees inspiration in recent events: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long-awaited IPL title and Paris Saint-Germain’s historic UEFA Champions League triumph earlier this year. While these victories were not a central narrative within the South African camp, the symbolic alignment of long-suffering teams achieving glory gives Markram quiet optimism.
“(There’s) not much chat along those lines in terms of watching the other events, but hopefully that trend can continue,” Markram said to ICC Digital ahead of the Final.
For South Africa, this is more than just another Test match. It’s a shot at history, redemption, and rewriting a narrative decades in the making. A WTC title would not only solidify their dominance in the longest format over the past cycle but would also exorcise the ghosts of past ICC heartbreaks
South Africa: A team long in pursuit of global glory
For decades, South Africa’s men’s cricket team has carried the weight of near-misses and semi-final heartbreaks across ICC tournaments. Markram, reflecting on the team’s trajectory, believes the squad has evolved across formats and matured in critical phases of tournament play.
“Obviously we’ve been chasing it now for many years as a squad. Across all formats, we’ve probably improved slightly throughout and had sniffs to win it. If we can get ourselves into a position over the five days of the Test match to win, we’ll push really hard for that,” the South African opening batter added.
From the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final defeat to India last year to strong showings in the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 and Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals, South Africa have proven its consistency at the top level. Now, standing at the cusp of Test cricket’s most prestigious crown, the Proteas know they must transform potential into silverware.
Also READ: South Africa’s best playing XI for the WTC 2023-25 final against Australia
Australia: The defending champions remain the benchmark
Australia, the reigning WTC champions, enter the Final with undeniable pedigree and momentum, having sealed their place with a 3-1 home series win over India. The Aussies have historically held the upper hand over South Africa, including a 2-0 series victory during the previous WTC cycle. Despite that, Markram is undeterred. Having faced Australia on several occasions, he believes there’s little about the opponent that surprises South Africa anymore. The familiarity, combined with South Africa’s hunger to end their ICC trophy drought, adds layers to what is already expected to be a fiercely competitive encounter.
“We pretty much know what the Australians are all about and their skill levels, their characters and all those sorts of things. t’s always a challenge that we get really excited for and we generally get up for it and look forward to it. I’ve got no doubt this time it’ll be any different,” Markram concluded, implying the Proteas are prepared to counter Australia’s strengths with their own.
Also READ: South Africa’s head coach picks opening pair for the WTC 2025 final against Australia
