Arundel, June 5, 2025: South African batter Aiden Markram is quietly optimistic that the run of long-standing title droughts ending in 2025 might be a good omen for his side as they prepare to face Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final starting June 11 at Lord’s.
The year has already seen underdogs make history across major sports: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their first-ever IPL title, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) lifted their maiden UEFA Champions League trophy. Markram hopes that South Africa’s turn may be next.
“There’s not much chat along those lines in terms of watching the other events,” Markram told ICC Digital, “but hopefully that trend can continue.”
South Africa has long been in search of a major ICC title across formats. While they’ve consistently reached the latter stages of global events—including the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, 2024 T20 World Cup final, and 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final—silverware has continued to elude them.
Markram acknowledged the team’s progress:
“We’ve been chasing it for many years as a squad. Across all formats, we’ve probably improved slightly throughout and had sniffs to win it. If we can get ourselves into a position over the five days of the Test match to win, we’ll push really hard for that.”
Looking ahead to the WTC final, Markram highlighted the importance of sticking to what has worked for the players throughout the cycle.
“It’s the collective decision for each guy to bring their best skill. It’s going to be a tough game. It’s a Test match, of course, against Australia — and a Dukes ball, Lord’s, all those sorts of things. But ultimately, the guys have a skillset that got them here, got them selected,” he said.
“So it’s about backing that — our best skill versus their best skill — and we’ll see where it lands us at the end of the day.”
This WTC final marks South Africa’s best opportunity in years to claim a major ICC title in the longest format of the game. Their challenge is formidable: they face defending champions Australia, a side known for rising to the occasion on cricket’s grandest stages.
But in a year where long-awaited dreams have been realised, Markram and his team have reason to believe their moment may finally have arrived.
