Winning WTC could change the landscape of cricket in South Africa: Lungi Ngidi

With South Africa set to play their biggest Test match, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is optimistic about creating history by bringing the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) mace home. The Proteas will be up against the defending champions, Australia, in the blockbuster WTC Final at Lord’s starting June 11, and Ngidi believes a win could revise the outlook of cricket in South Africa.

South Africa’s recent near-misses in ICC tournaments, with the loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final and a semi-final exit in the 2025 Champions Trophy, have kept them away from a major title. But with a solid WTC campaign featuring seven consecutive wins, the Proteas have another golden opportunity to end their long-standing title drought.

"I don't think I can put it into words, to be honest. We've come close over the last couple of years now with other different tournaments. For me, this is the ultimate form of cricket, and to be able to bring this back home would be a dream come true. I don't want to jinx anything, but it would be awesome. I think it could change the landscape of cricket in South Africa and just bring that focus back to red-ball cricket," Ngidi told ICC Digital.

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The nerves are lot more settled: Lungi Ngidi

While his fellow teammates Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen have drawn the attention, Ngidi has been working his way back to full rhythm after suffering some injuries. The 29-year-old is now fully fit and confident for the upcoming contest.

"I feel very ready as I have had a lot of time to prepare for this. It's any cricketer's dream to play at Lord's. I've been blessed with the opportunity before, playing England at Lord's, and that was quite something for me with the nerves and the excitement. But coming back this time around, the nerves are a lot more settled. There is obviously a big title on the line, but the beautiful thing about Test cricket is the process pretty much remains the same, and having that consistency helps me relax as a player," the pacer added..

Notably, Ngidi's performance and being in full fitness could be important in strengthening South Africa’s pace attack, which will hope to replicate past success at Lord’s. On their last visit, Rabada wreaked havoc with his five-wicket haul, helping the Proteas dismantle England in just two and a half days. Meanwhile, Ngidi has played just one Test at the iconic Lord's and managed to pick a single wicket.