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News24
7 hours ago
- Sport
- News24
First Test, day one: Zimbabwe v Proteas
Welcome to News24's coverage of the first Test between the Proteas and Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The Proteas are in red-ball action for the first time since winning the World Test Championship at Lord's earlier this month as they resume Test ties with African neighbours Zimbabwe. Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has selected an exciting team with a decided feel of 'I want to see something' about it. Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis and Codi Yusuf make their Test debuts, with the heavier artillery in regular skipper Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen among those absent for this outing due to either injury (Bavuma has a hamstring injury) or rest and recuperation. Seamer Lungi Ngidi will be available for the second Test. Long-time servant of Proteas cricket, Keshav Maharaj, makes his Test captaincy debut.
The Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Siya Kolisi hails Temba Bavuma's courage in the face of criticism
While the clichés about Bavuma being small in stature but having a huge heart, or dynamite in a small package, are apt on this occasion, the Springbok captain also had praise for a superb Proteas team effort to tame the heavily-favoured Australians. 'It was a proper team effort. Lungi Ngidi's first innings with the ball wasn't good. He struggled, but look at the way he fought back in that second innings, while KG Rabada was as reliable as ever and top-class. 'Wiaan Mulder also stood up. Aiden Markram scoring that hundred after his duck in the first innings was also amazing .' Bok coach Erasmus described the cricket team as a source of pride. 'The Proteas inspire us. We share the same environment, we face the same pressures. Them maybe more than us. [Recently] they were a bit like [we were] in 2018. We see our excitement for each other. They have helped us in our hearts,' he said. 'They did flipping well to fight like that. That's what South Africans want to see, that we never give up, even though I think it must get quite lonely out there in the middle.' SportsBoom
TimesLIVE
20-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Hamstring injury rules Bavuma out of Proteas' Zimbabwe Tests
The South African squad for the two Tests, which will both be played in Bulawayo, is markedly different from the group that claimed a historic triumph against Australia in the WTC final at Lord's, which concluded on Saturday. Five cross-format players, including the player of the match at Lord's, Aiden Markram, were not included to manage their workloads ahead of a busy year for the Proteas. Besides tours to Pakistan and India later this year, which include Tests, ODIs and T20s, the Proteas will also travel to Australia and England for limited overs series. Lungi Ngidi will also only be available for the second Test. Lesego Senokwane, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Codi Yusuf, Prenelan Subrayen and Dewald Brevis are the five uncapped players in the squad. The first Test starts on June 28. Proteas squad for Zimbabwe series David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dré Pretorious, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf
Daily Maverick
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Lungi Ngidi's redemption: How he silenced critics in Proteas' historic victory at Lord's
Lungi Ngidi says that despite the furore that followed after his inclusion in the World Test Championship final against Australia, he backed himself to deliver for his country. Criticism comes with the territory in sports — especially at the elite level. People will always have an opinion about you, it's unavoidable. One of the hallmarks of a good athlete is taking such jibes in your stride and doing your talking on the field. That's exactly what Proteas fast bowler Lungi Ngidi did during South Africa's World Test Championship (WTC) fina l five-wicket win over Australia in London. Known for his occasionally unorthodox decisions, South Africa's coach Shukri Conrad backed Ngidi to contribute to the team winning their first piece of international silverware since a Champions Trophy triumph in 1998. While team leaders such as captain Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada rose to the occasion with the spotlight firmly on them, Ngidi silenced a number of critics with his own sublime display in the final. No one expected the lanky fast bowler to aid South Africa's quest for global Test domination in any way. He was branded a liability. The critics pointed out that Ngidi had not played Test cricket in nearly a year. Fellow seamer Dane Paterson, on the other hand, was in great form. Recalled to the Test team for the first time in four years in 2024, Paterson was effective — picking up 21 wickets in five matches last year. As such, many followers of cricket believed the 36-year-old had earned his spot in the final, at the expense of Ngidi. But the Proteas hierarchy preferred Ngidi for this particular assignment, firmly backing him to deliver. Which he did during an inspired second innings in which he claimed three wickets for just 35 runs, in nine overs. Momentum-shifting spell He picked up three crucial wickets during his breathless spell — including that of Australian batting lynchpin Steve Smith. Rabada had disrupted the rhythm of Australia with two early wickets in their second innings — removing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green. That brought Smith to the crease, alongside another threat with the bat — Marnus Labuschagne. Having dismissed South Africa for 138 in defence of their first-innings total of 212, the Australians still held their destiny in their own hands and were looking to build on their 122-run lead. Then came Ngidi, dismissing Smith for 13 to strike a heavy body blow on the Aussies. He followed up that crucial wicket with those of Beau Webster and Pat Cummins as Australia crumbled to 73 for seven. It was a defining spell by Ngidi, a moment of redemption after he had provided his critics with ammunition during a poor first innings in which he had been expensive, conceding 45 runs and failing to pick up a wicket during his eight-over shift. 'Focused on myself' At the team's homecoming press conference in Johannesburg, Ngidi told journalists that despite the noise around his selection and even his forgettable first-innings display, he never doubted his ability to vindicate Conrad and Bavuma for backing him. 'I was told to come on to bowl. Obviously, we knew the situation of the game. Who was at the crease as well, and it probably was the guy who was going to give them the best chance to get a massive lead,' said Ngidi of his blistering second-innings shift. 'I was just trying to get some rhythm. Temba was trying to tell me what balls to bowl, but I told him to just let me bowl. And that was about it,' Ngidi said. 'To me it's always been pretty much the same. What I've tried to do is obviously just block out the noise. There was obviously a lot to be said before the Test series started, but now I haven't heard anything but good things. So, it's funny how that's turned on its head,' the 29-year-old added. Ngidi's physical fitness had also been questioned in the build-up to the final, with the bowler supposedly looking out of shape. The seamer's career has also been blighted by injury, which has affected his pace. He says he's learnt to live with this reality. But he was also pleased with himself and his body after bowling nine successive overs at Lord's. 'Fitness is always people's opinions. You don't get put on the field unless the fitness trainer or the coach knows that you're going to be able to do the job. So, it's always a matter of opinion, as most things are when it comes to what the guys are doing on the field,' Ngidi said. 'In that moment, it's just a mental decision of 'I'm going to push through whatever I'm feeling right now or whatever mental block I've got.' So, it's a matter of people's opinions of when people say I look unfit. But if we had to probably run a race with each other, I'm probably the one who's going to win,' the pacer said. June has been quite a prosperous month for Ngidi. In addition to his Test final heroics, the bowler was part of the contingent that delivered Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League title earlier this month. DM
IOL News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Lungi Ngidi responds to critics: 'Fitness is just an opinion'
NGIDI HITS BACK Lungi Ngidi silenced his critics with a stellar 3/38 performance in the World Test Championship final, as he insisted fitness was a matter of opinion. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL Though he went wicketless in the first innings of the WTC final, he came storming back in the second with 3/38, which included the key wicket of Steve Smith for 13 as South Africa went on to win by five wickets. In fact, Ngidi's last first-class match was SA's Test match against the West Indies in Port of Spain in August last year. Ahead of the WTC final, Ngidi had played no first-class cricket in the last few months except the two overs he bowled in the warm-up match against Zimbabwe last week. Lungi Ngidi has hit back at his critics following his top performance in the World Test Championship ( WTC ) final over the weekend. Ngidi's Mental Resilience and Fitness Debate: Turning Criticism into Sensational Performance 'What I've tried to do is obviously just block out the noise. There was obviously a lot to be said before the Test series started, but now I haven't heard anything but good things, so it's funny how that's turned on its head,' said Ngidi. While the main issue was that Dane Paterson, who was not picked for the match XI, had played far more cricket in similar conditions, Ngidi took it as purely a question of his fitness. 'Fitness is always people's opinions. You don't get put on the field unless the fitness trainer or the coach knows that you're going to be able to do a job. 'So it's always a matter of opinion as most things are when it comes to what the guys are doing on the field. In that moment, I think it's just a mental decision to push through whatever I'm feeling right now or whatever mental block I've got. 'It's a matter of people's opinions of when people say, oh, you look unfit, but if we had to probably run with each other, I'm probably the one who's going to win.' The way Ngidi turned it around in the second innings was nothing short of sensational, and the Proteas explained how he achieved the feat. 'After the first innings as well, like I said, I've been there before and I did struggle from that end as well. A couple of years ago, but it wasn't a matter of, you know, doubt, it was just rhythm. And maybe trying too hard, especially maybe trying to prove a point. 'At that time in the game, obviously, KG [Kagiso Rabada] had started off unbelievably. So trying to match that in a sense. But then again, every bowler has his own processes. So in the second innings, it was more about focusing on what I know I can do and execute that as best as possible.' @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
