Jay Shah Congratulates South Africa for Securing WTC Final Spot
South Africa now eagerly awaits their first appearance in the WTC final
DUBAI: ICC Chairman Jay Shah extended his congratulations to South Africa on Sunday for qualifying for their first-ever ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, following a dramatic two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion.
Shah praised the Proteas for their remarkable achievement, stating, “Well done to Proteas Men CSA on qualifying for their first World Test Championship final after a thrilling Test match victory in Centurion.” South Africa’s nail-biting win confirmed their place in the prestigious final, set to take place at Lord’s in June 2025.
In the match, South Africa, chasing 148 for victory, overcame early setbacks, recovering from 19 for 3 and 99 for 8, to secure the win thanks to a crucial, unbeaten 51-run partnership between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada. The victory extended South Africa’s unbeaten streak to six Test wins, helping them top the WTC standings with 66.67 percentage points.
Meanwhile, renowned Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta also reacted to Pakistan’s narrow loss, offering a perspective on the defeat. On X (formerly Twitter), Gupta wrote, “The one consolation Pakistan can derive from this defeat is that losing to tougher teams in tough conditions can only help you improve.” His comment highlighted the value of facing challenging teams in difficult conditions as a learning opportunity for Pakistan.
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South Africa now eagerly awaits their first appearance in the WTC final, where they will compete for the coveted title against the top-ranked Test team, with their opponents still to be decided as the current cycle draws to a close.
