Steve Smith says Australia won’t take South Africa lightly in WTC final

Australia’s veteran batter Steve Smith said they won’t be complacent against South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Smith said the Proteas have a potent pace battery and they have qualified for the final after performing consistently.

South Africa’s pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada and he will have the support of Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi. Furthermore, the Proteas have a guile spinner in Keshav Maharaj.

In the 2023-25 WTC cycle, the South African team won their last seven matches in a row to finish as table toppers and they would look to come up with a collective effort in the all-important final.

“South Africa have a particularly good bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada; his record speaks for itself. Marco Jansen – they are a good side; they are here for a reason,” Smith told reporters at Lord’s on Monday, June 9.

Rabada is the leading wicket-getter in WTC history, with 151 scalps in 33 Test matches and he has a solid record while playing against the Australians.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith also has a promising record while playing at Lord’s. Smith has an impressive average of 55 while playing in tough English conditions.

“It’s a nice place to bat. Personally I’ve had a bit of success here. It takes a bit of time getting used to the slope, one end thinking you are falling over, the other you feel a bit tall. It’s a nice wicket to bat on but can change with the overheads; the ball swinging around can get a bit tricky,” Smith said when asked about his performance at Lord’s.

Smith said a three-match series to decide the winners of the WTC would have been ideal. “Maybe a three-match series would be good, but good luck fitting it in the schedule; it’s pretty jam-packed as it is.”