The World Test Championship (WTC) final is still a few months away, but chatter around the mouth-watering clash between Australia and South Africa has already picked up pace. The battle at the Lord’s Cricket Ground will be between two of the most potent pace attacks in the world, and it needs to be seen whether the Proteas, set to appear in their maiden WTC final, shed the ‘chokers’ tag and win an elusive ICC title.
Former South Africa all-rounder JP Duminy, who coaches Sharjah Warriorz in ILT20, spoke to Hindustan Times about South Africa’s chances in the WTC final and how he sees the Proteas heading into the contest as ‘underdogs’.
South Africa have won last seven Tests in a row, and JP Duminy believes that this has given cricket in the country a much-needed boost. He also talked about how Proteas reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2024, and it was down to Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance that India staged a comeback to walk away with the title.
“100 per cent. It’s been an unbelievable year across all formats. I think of the T20 World Cup, making the final. That’s obviously something that we’ve not achieved before. And the great debate is we were in the position to win the trophy. And I remember listening to an interview with Usman Khwaja. He got Bumrah’ed,” Duminy told Hindustan Times.
“And I think that’s exactly the same. The high quality of that player in Bumrah set us apart. So with that being said, and now, obviously, the success of the Test team, it really stands us in good stead,” he added.
Further explaining why he believes South Africa to be the underdogs heading into the contest, which will be played from June 11-16, Duminy said, “I’m certainly looking forward and excited to see. We certainly go in with the underdog tag, no doubt, going against Australia. But I know that we’re going to put in a big performance, and hopefully, we can bring that number one mace home. We’ve obviously achieved that before in a different format. But this will be a great achievement for South African cricket.”
Temba Bavuma has a ‘strong inner belief’
South Africa Test captain Temba Bavuma has been in phenomenal form, scoring 504 runs in his last four Tests. Duminy, who has represented South Africa in 46 Tests, 199 ODIs, and 81 T20Is, believes that Bavuma has strong self-belief and is ably supported by a good support staff.
“Look, obviously, I’ve played with him for many years and obviously coached him as well. And he’s got this quiet determination about him. There’s a strong inner belief in his own ability. And that spills over into the team in terms of how he performs, how he trains, the clarity in which he speaks with,” said Duminy.
“And that’s obviously great attributes to have as a leader. I think he has a great leadership team around him, including his coaching staff and the senior players who influence those decision-making processes. But I’m really excited for him,” he added.
Further shedding light on Temba Bavuma’s mindset, Duminy explained, “You know, it’s not easy carrying the weight of a nation on your shoulders, in terms of putting in big performances, and he finds a way to do it day after day. So, as I said, that quiet determination, that strong inner belief that drives the culture and the behaviour within that environment can stand us only in good stead, particularly in leading from the front through performance.”
A chat with JP Duminy would not be complete without talking everything Sharjah Warriorz and ILT20. The squad has gotten the much-needed boost with the addition of New Zealand pacer Tim Southee. In a refreshing change, Duminy is one of the few cricketers who are fond of the impact player rule.
Speaking about the rule, Duminy said, “We’ve seen it being implemented already in the past seasons, and what I enjoy about it is the innovation it brings to the game. It creates a little bit more interest, but also, from a strategic level, how do you use it to your advantage? Teams, when you have as many great players in your team, you’re looking for the edge and if you can implement that from a strategic point of view using this rule, why not? So I certainly enjoy it.”
“I think it brings a nice fresh element to the game and the game of T20 cricket, particularly in the shorter formats. We’re always looking for innovation that attracts a different sort of crowd to the game and interest in the game,” he added.
The ILT20 got underway on Saturday (January 11), with the first match between Dubai Capitals and MI Emirates. The T20 league is clashing with South Africa’s SA20. So, how does Duminy see this clash?
“Look, at the end of the day, in an ideal world, you would want a yearly schedule where everyone has its pocket, alongside international cricket. But we understand that that’s not always possible. But again, I come back to this idea that as long as we’re creating opportunities for players from all around the globe, I think it stands the game in good stead,” said Duminy.
“I think there are opportunities for coexisting because, at the end of the day, if you have certain leagues, there’s only X amount of spots that players can fill, particularly from an international standpoint. And you want to expose cricketers to different opportunities so that they can enhance their skill, enhance their game, because ultimately the product of cricket is enhanced when, particularly, associate nations are then, you know, merged with international cricketers or your more well-known cricketers, because the skill level will improve. So if we can create opportunities through that, I think the game of cricket benefits,” he concluded.
