Latest news with #WorldTestChampionshipFinal
India Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
Ahmedabad casn host the WTC Final, but England is good for now: Ravi Shastri
The World Test Championship Final may be one of the biggest fixtures in the modern cricket calendar, but former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels it's still in its early days when it comes to global popularity. And that's why, according to him, Lord's remains the most fitting venue—at least for to Wisden, Shastri said the iconic London ground helps draw attention to the contest, even when England aren't involved. He believes that once the fixture grows in popularity, venues like Ahmedabad and Melbourne could step in to host future think to start off initially, it's good if it's here (Lord's) actually. Once it gets the popularity and eyebrows it deserves, then it can start shifting. But I think the MCG can be a great place for a World Test Championship Final. Ahmedabad can be a great place for the WTC Final. Basically, the places where you can draw a crowd. Because Lord's is not a 100,000-seater stadium. So, irrespective of which team is playing, you know you will get a good crowd,' Shastri said. The England and Wales Cricket Board is reportedly set to host the next three WTC Finals through 2031, having already received verbal confirmation from the ICC. While India had expressed interest in hosting the final, England's consistent ability to attract crowds—even for neutral Tests—worked in its recently hosted the 2025 final between South Africa and Australia, and also remains the most high-profile venue to host a WTC title clash. The inaugural edition was played in 2021 between India and New Zealand in Southampton under Covid-19 restrictions. The 2023 final took place at The captain Pat Cummins had earlier proposed a rotating host system, suggesting the defending champions should get hosting rights—a suggestion that is still up for debate as the ICC weighs long-term plans for the WTC.- Ends
United News of India
9 hours ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Cummins hails match-winners as Australia registers easy win over Windies
Bridgetown (Barbados), June 28 (UNI) In a match that ebbed and flowed, it was Australia who emerged victorious against West Indies in the opening Test of the three-match series in Bridgetown. While the win may not erase the heartbreak of Lord's just two weeks ago, it marks a positive start to their World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with their first points now on the board. There was little to separate the sides after the first two innings – just 10 runs, in fact. Jayden Seales' five-wicket haul helped bowl Australia out for 180, before a disciplined all-round effort from the Australian bowlers restricted West Indies to 190, giving the hosts a slender lead. Australia found themselves in trouble at 65/4 after another top-order collapse, but the middle-order trio of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey steadied the ship with crucial half-centuries. Head and Webster put together a 102-run stand, with Head playing the aggressor. After Head's dismissal, Carey took charge, highlighted by two brilliant straight sixes off Seales and Justin Greaves. "I thought those three were brilliant," Australia skipper Pat Cummins said at the post-match press conference. "They kept the scoreboard ticking over. I thought they took really good options. They were always looking to score. 'Really, that was the difference. [You are] turning up today thinking that if we didn't get a big lead it was 50-50, really. Those guys took the game away from West Indies." Cummins was particularly impressed by Beau Webster, who, despite having played just five Tests, has already built a reputation for digging Australia out of tough spots with grit and composure on challenging surfaces. On debut against India, the 31-year-old made an instant impact, scoring a half-century on a spicy Sydney pitch in the first innings and following it up with a brisk unbeaten 39 in their victorious chase. In the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, Webster stood tall with a counter-attacking 72 off 92 balls, the top score in Australia's first-innings total of 212. Against West Indies, he once again proved pivotal, anchoring two key partnerships in the second innings with a composed 63 off 120 balls that turned the tide in Australia's favour. He also made an impact with the ball, claiming two wickets in the first innings. "I think it's pretty much the same as what he does for Tasmania," Cummins said on Webster. "He seems to always contribute in some way. He's kind of knocked down the door with his performances over the years in Shield cricket. It's great when you've got someone like that coming to the team. 'They know their craft so well and you saw that today, even on a tricky wicket, he knew where his areas to score were. He's been a fantastic asset to the team over the last six months." After setting West Indies a target of 301, Australia needed just one session and under 34 overs to seal the win, dismantling the hosts for 141. Leading the charge was the ever-reliable Josh Hazlewood, who delivered a brilliant five-wicket haul to cap off the dominant performance.
Int'l Cricket Council
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Cummins hails match-winners as Australia get going in WTC27 ICC World Test Championship
In a match that ebbed and flowed, it was Australia who emerged victorious against West Indies in the opening Test of the three-match series in Bridgetown. While the win may not erase the heartbreak of Lord's just two weeks ago, it marks a positive start to their World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with their first points now on the board. There was little to separate the sides after the first two innings – just 10 runs, in fact. Jayden Seales' five-wicket haul helped bowl Australia out for 180, before a disciplined all-round effort from the Australian bowlers restricted West Indies to 190, giving the hosts a slender lead. Australia found themselves in trouble at 65/4 after another top-order collapse, but the middle-order trio of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey steadied the ship with crucial half-centuries. Head and Webster put together a 102-run stand, with Head playing the aggressor. After Head's dismissal, Carey took charge, highlighted by two brilliant straight sixes off Seales and Justin Greaves. "I thought those three were brilliant," Australia skipper Pat Cummins said at the post-match press conference. "They kept the scoreboard ticking over. I thought they took really good options. They were always looking to score. 'Really, that was the difference. [You are] turning up today thinking that if we didn't get a big lead it was 50-50, really. Those guys took the game away from West Indies." Cummins was particularly impressed by Beau Webster, who, despite having played just five Tests, has already built a reputation for digging Australia out of tough spots with grit and composure on challenging surfaces. On debut against India, the 31-year-old made an instant impact, scoring a half-century on a spicy Sydney pitch in the first innings and following it up with a brisk unbeaten 39 in their victorious chase. In the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, Webster stood tall with a counter-attacking 72 off 92 balls, the top score in Australia's first-innings total of 212. Against West Indies, he once again proved pivotal, anchoring two key partnerships in the second innings with a composed 63 off 120 balls that turned the tide in Australia's favour. He also made an impact with the ball, claiming two wickets in the first innings. Beau Webster helps Australia's cause with half-century | Player Highlights | WTC25 Final Beau Webster marked his first Lord's Test with a half century in the World Test Championship Final. "I think it's pretty much the same as what he does for Tasmania," Cummins said on Webster. "He seems to always contribute in some way. He's kind of knocked down the door with his performances over the years in Shield cricket. It's great when you've got someone like that coming to the team. 'They know their craft so well and you saw that today, even on a tricky wicket, he knew where his areas to score were. He's been a fantastic asset to the team over the last six months." After setting West Indies a target of 301, Australia needed just one session and under 34 overs to seal the win, dismantling the hosts for 141. Leading the charge was the ever-reliable Josh Hazlewood, who delivered a brilliant five-wicket haul to cap off the dominant performance. Hazlewood cleans up Stubbs with a jaffa | WTC25 Final Josh Hazlewood also got himself among the wickets by nipping one in to get rid of Tristan Stubbs. 'Give Josh a wicket with any little bit in it, and he finds it,' Cummins added on his pace bowling partner Hazlewood. 'Just hits the right area, ball after ball, presents good seam. I thought he was great at Lord's as well last week, without perhaps the returns that he was deserved. 'It's a huge asset to have him on our side as well. He's been keeping Scotty Boland out of the side and we know how good Scotty is. Really pumped for Josh this week.' The series now moves to St George's for the second Test, which gets underway on 3 July. ICC World Test ChampionshipNewsAustraliaWest Indies
The Star
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Shukri Conrad places his trust in teenager Kwena Maphaka to lead Proteas Test attack
Zaahier Adams | Published 1 day ago The excitement around Kwena Maphaka is comprehensible. He sends down left-arm down thunderbolts that have touched the 150km/h mark. He is strong, mature, smart and ambitious, and hails from the same St Stithians College stock as Kagiso Rabada. The fact that he's only 19 years old ensures he appeals to an entire generation unburdened by the country's fractious past. In essence, Maphaka is the future of the Proteas cricket team on the field, and with a home World Cup on the horizon in two years' time, he is the picture-perfect image Cricket SA are trying to promote off it. This is an almighty load to bear for anyone – let alone someone only recently eligible to obtain a driver's licence – with even the great Rabada admitting to having suffered from bouts of anxiety during the early years of his international career. It is for this reason that Maphaka can only be grateful that he has Shukri Conrad steering his Proteas future. Conrad intentionally left the teenager out of his World Test Championship Final squad. For all Maphaka's promise, Lord's was no child's playground, with the grizzled Australians, the opposition, and the cameras of the world highlighting every play. Instead, Conrad will unleash Maphaka – and as he rightfully says, 'with all due respect to Zimbabwe' – at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo in Saturday's first Test (10am start). 'With Lungi (Ngidi) not being here for the first Test, Kwena Maphaka is going to lead the bowling attack,' Conrad confirmed on Thursday. 'As a 19 year old, when you get given that responsibility, it doesn't only speak volumes for how highly we rate him, but also the calibre and the mentality that he possesses. 'He's a young buck that shows maturity way beyond his years. 'So, yeah, he'll definitely be leading the attack in the first Test.' Conrad's laudatory remarks were quickly diluted by caution, though, with the veteran mentor wilfully trying to limit expectations to allow Maphaka the space to develop at his own pace. Equally, though, he understands the young cub's eagerness to shoulder greater responsibility – like he had always done throughout his school and youth international career. 'We've obviously got to be very smart in identifying when we do put him out in the shop window. I think this would be a great time for him,' the Proteas coach said. 'Zimbabwe, and I am talking Test cricket specifically, where he is not the third quick behind KG (Rabada) and Marco (Jansen) necessarily, but he is the main dog. 'So, that responsibility will grow massively, and it's all about being patient. 'Just like you need to be patient with batters, you need to be patient with bowlers as well. 'We're not going to see the best of Kwena Mphaka in the next couple of months, but these are all the building blocks so that we can see the best of Kwena in, say, three or four years' time.' Maphaka's development as a top-class paceman is integral to Conrad's overall plan of growing the South African fast-bowling depth. This has been boosted by the return to fitness of Gerald Coetzee and Nandré Burger, with both seamers being included in the Proteas T20I squad for the upcoming Tri-Series in Zimbabwe. However, this has been offset by Anrich Nortjé suffering yet another 'stress reaction', ruling the 31-year-old out of selection. The 'Uitenhage Express' has also not travelled to MLC in the United States, which has limited his game-time to just two IPL matches all year. 'We will have to see the length of the time that he will be out and the extent of the injury. I really feel for him,' Conrad said. 'He is a superstar fast bowler, and having to deal with setback after setback can't be easy. We will wait to see how serious it is. 'Naturally, we are worried. In Anrich's case, this is the second or third stress reaction in his back. 'It is too early to make a diagnosis, and we are definitely not drawing a line through this name. 'He is 31 years old, and we are going to give him every chance to come back. We will have to see what the medical team think is the best way forward.'
Mint
a day ago
- Sport
- Mint
'He is the main dog': SA coach Conrad backs teen star Kwena as frontline bowler during Zimbabwe series
Bulawayo [Zimbabwe], June 27 (ANI): South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad said that young left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka will be the "main dog" in the bowling department for the national team in the upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe in the absence of experienced fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen. The playing eleven of the defending ICC World Test Championship (WTC) will feature three debutants, Dewald Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and pacer Codi Yusuf. The match is the first of the Proteas' WTC 2025-27 cycle and will start from Saturday onwards. The visitors have a a new-look bowling lineup featuring Corbin Bosch, Codi Yusuf and Kwena Maphaka, other thanleft-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. Among the three pacers, Yusuf makes his Test debut, while Bosch and Maphaka have featured in a Test before. Speaking on Maphaka, Shukri Conrad said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, "With Lungi not being here for the first Test, Kwena's going to lead the bowling attack. As a 19-year-old, when you get given that responsibility, it doesn't only speaks volumes for how highly you are rated, but also the calibre and the mentality that he possesses. He's a young buck that shows maturity way beyond his years." "We've obviously got to be very smart in identifying when we put him out in the shop window, and I think this would be a great time for him. In Zimbabwe, in Test cricket specifically, he is not the third quick behind KG and Marco necessarily but he is the main dog. That responsibility will grow massively," the coach added. Maphaka played his maiden game in the longest format of the game during the Test match against Pakistan earlier this year as fourth seamer along with Rabada, Jansen, and Wiaan Mulder. In that match, the 19-year-old bowled 21.2 overs across the two innings, finished with 3 for 90 Following an injury to full-time skipper Temba Bavuma, Maharaj was named as the skipper of the South Africa side for the tour. Bavuma had sustained a hamstring strain during the World Test Championship Final, but continued to bat bravely thereafter, guiding the Proteas to a historic title. Maharaj will lead a young XI into the first Test in Bulawayo, with Tony de Zorzi and Matthew Breetzke being named as the designated openers, as per the ICC. Mulder will have another go at number three, after having impressed in the second innings of the Ultimate Test, while David Bedingham finds himself promoted to number four. Debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who has just seven first-class games to his name, comes in at number five, whereas Dewald Brevis, who also makes his Test debut, sits at number six. Lhuan, who had a breakout SA20 for Paarl Royals this year with 397 runs in 12 matches with three fifties, has made 485 runs in seven first-class games at an average of 60.62, with three tons and a fifty. Brevis, who scored poorly in two T20Is he played for Proteas, has been in tremendous form across all formats for a long while and had a solid stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring 225 runs in six matches at an average of 37.50, with two fifties, at a strike rate of 180.00. Kyle Verreynne will keep the wickets and bat at seven. In all, just four members of the side that featured in the World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord's will feature in this Test for the Proteas. Maharaj is also on the verge of becoming the first-ever South African spinner to achieve the landmark of 200 Test wickets, being just one scalp away from the feat. SA's Playing XI: Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke, Wiaan Mulder, David Bedingham, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj (c), Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka. (ANI)
