Follow UsSouth Africa have gone close to getting their hands on an ICC title on more than one occasion in the recent past, but have never managed to grab it, with the T20 World Cup in Barbados last year being the last. However, all that could change in the next week when they take on Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi, who is expected to play a part in the final at Lord's, believes a win could change the landscape of cricket in South Africa.
"I don't think I can put it into words, to be honest. We've come close over the last couple of years now with other different tournaments. For me, this is the ultimate form of cricket, and to be able to bring this back home would be a dream come true," Ngidi told ICC Digital.
"I don't want to jinx anything, but it would be awesome. I think it could change the landscape of cricket in South Africa and just bring that focus back to red-ball cricket."
Ngidi is also looking forward to playing a match of this magnitude at Lord's.
"I feel very ready, as I have had a lot of time to prepare for this. It's any cricketer's dream to play at Lord's. I've been blessed with the opportunity before, playing England at Lord's, and that was quite something for me with the nerves and the excitement," he said.
"But coming back this time around, the nerves are a lot more settled. There is obviously a big title on the line, but the beautiful thing about Test cricket is the process pretty much remains the same and having that consistency helps me relax as a player."
South Africa will have their tasks cut out as they will be up against Australia, who won the previous edition in 2023. The WTC 2025 final will be played from June 11 (Wednesday) onwards.