Just before the heavens opened up at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on the afternoon of June 29, 2024, a distraught Aiden Markram was subjected to a barrage of unpleasant queries on yet another heartbreak for South Africa. In the aftermath of a seven-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup final, it was incumbent on Markram as skipper to try and explain how his team could botch up an eminently favourable position in a run chase of 177 — 30 runs were needed off the last five overs with six wickets in hand — to add to the country’s gut-wrenching history of near-misses. The dreaded c-word, of course, had haunted many previous South African captains including Hansie Cronje, Shaun Pollock and Graeme Smith.
The South African mainstay, who rose to the occasion and stamped his authority as the leader of a talented pace attack, added that defeating an Australian side, whose cricketers his young players had been adoring since childhood days, had made the triumph even more special.
“Australia are a well accustomed team and with all due respect, a bit of an aging team. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school. If you put into perspective for the younger players what that’s like. It is special, it hasn’t sunk in.
“This has given us confidence we can do it again,” added Rabada, who moved past Allan Donald into fourth on South Africa’s all-time list of Test wicket-takers.
Despite playing a pivotal role in South Africa’s triumph, Rabada said he would like to share the credit with fellow players.
“I don’t see myself as a star. I see myself as someone willing to work, give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That’s me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride. That’s the way I’d like to see everyone play.
“Every game I play, I’m looking to get wickets. I’m not going to go into the game thinking ‘I need to get seven wickets for us to win’, I look at it as an opportunity to get as many wickets as I can to help the team,” added Rabada, who retains the highest strike rate (38.9) for any bowler with more than 150 scalps in the format.
Rabada, who had a 5-for in the first innings and followed it up with more potent bowling in the second, added that while bowling in the second innings was challenging and with fatigue setting in, he tried to go about his business in a calm manner.
“I’ve been working extremely hard, those second innings spells are the ones that count a lot more — when you are a bit tired and behind in the game.
“It was just about staying calm and looking at what was in front of us. All mayhem broke loose, we got five wickets in I don’t know how many overs, it was a crazy game of cricket.
“There are normally two voices in your head – one that doubts and one that believes. That is the one we keep feeding, especially in big moments like this, the World Test Championship final. That is why you saw the performances you saw. It is testament to our team this season.”
