South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada believes that teams not in the top three of Test cricket need to play better to challenge the leading cricket countries. In recent times, Test cricket has been mostly controlled by the top three teams: India, England, and Australia, who play most of the matches in each cycle of the World Test Championship
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As other teams lag behind, Rabada encourages them to improve their performance and compete strongly in the 2024 World Test Championship. He thinks this is one way they can help balance the competition.
“We also need to improve the game ourselves. If you look at the top three teams, Australia, England, and India, they simply have more money. But if you want those countries to play against you, you must play excellent cricket. You need to be competing for the ICC top ranking or the World Test Championship. This is one way you can help create a balance between teams. This is something the cricket boards can manage: playing good cricket,” Rabada said in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
Rabada also mentioned West Indies’ memorable victory over Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, noting that the win reignited interest in West Indies cricket. He believes more wins like this can level the playing field in the Test format.
“We witnessed when the West Indies team defeated Australia, which reignited excitement in West Indies Test cricket. We need to see more of that. The joy after Shamar Joseph’s impressive bowling performance was evident—people were in tears, very emotional. A single image can convey a lot. Just look at those moments and you’ll understand,” he said.
In other news, South Africa is scheduled to play against the West Indies in a two-game Test series starting on Wednesday, August 7 at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. During this series, Kagiso Rabada has a good opportunity to reach 300 Test wickets, as he is only nine wickets away from this significant achievement. At 29 years old, he will be the seventh South African bowler to reach this historic milestone.
