Follow UsThe Proteas are in the West Indies for their upcoming two-Test series against the Caribbean cricket nation, starting August 7. It’s a crucial series for the South Africans, who are currently 7th on the ICC World Test Championship table.
They have lost three of their four Tests in this cycle, and things look dire for them going ahead of these two Tests in the Caribbean. The Temba Bavuma-led side has been on a downward trend for the longest format. Even Cricket South Africa (CSA) had to put it down on the priority list last year when a depleted Test side was sent to New Zealand as the main Proteas men players were occupied in the SA20.
In this environment, Test cricket is not enjoying popular support in nations outside of ‘The Big Three’. ESPNCricinfo quoted Kagiso Rabada on how other teams can keep the longest format of the game alive and thriving in their respective cricket nations. For him, everything boiled down to the teams going out of their way to perform in Test cricket and entertain the audiences.
“It's up to us as well to boost the game,” Rabada said.
“You look at the big three, Australia, England, India and they just have the most money to be quite frank. However, if you want those nations playing against you, then you need to be playing good cricket. You need to be challenging for that ICC mace or World Test Championship (WTC). That's one of the ways in which you have control to set an equilibrium amongst teams. That's one thing that the unions can control: to play good cricket.”
For Rabada, entertainment and “good cricket” both go hand in hand. “Cricket is about giving entertainment,” Rabada remarked.
“Sport is about giving entertainment to the fans. And with cricket being the second-most popular sport in the world, after football, based on the numbers in the subcontinent, it's very certain that cricket is providing entertainment for the fans. And for the fans to get good entertainment, the cricket has to be good.
I just feel as if when good cricket is played, then the best teams want to play against those teams. It's up to us to play good Test cricket. And if you play good Test cricket, then you start to get a good following.”
He cited the example of West Indies winning a Test match in Australia, and how that became such a great advertisement for the longest format of the game and what it has to offer.
"We saw when West Indies went and beat Australia, that brought a spark back to West Indies Test cricket,” the speedster continued.
“And more of that just needs to happen. The celebrations after Shamar Joseph bowled the way that he did - people were crying, people were very emotional. A picture tells a story of a thousand words. So all you have to do is look at those scenes and it'll tell you.”
Rabada has a stellar record in Test cricket, with 291 wickets in just 112 innings at 22.05. He will be in action next in the first Test against West Indies, starting from August 7 in Port of Spain.
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