South Africa’s dominant World Test Championship (WTC) final win over Australia at Lord’s didn’t just earn them the mace—it sparked a direct challenge to cricket’s entrenched power narratives. Head coach Shukri Conrad, speaking after the team’s return to a hero’s welcome at OR Tambo International Airport, issued a stinging rebuke to critics of the Proteas’ WTC journey and the so-called ‘Big Three’—India, Australia, and England.
In the lead-up to the final, sections of the Australian and UK media questioned South Africa’s path, pointing to a perceived lack of fixtures against the ‘Big Three.’ But Conrad was having none of it.
“They create their own realities, and unfortunately, none of them are (Test) champions,” Shukri Conrad told SportsBoom.co.za.
South Africa’s response to critics: victory and defiance
The criticism seemed to revolve around the notion that South Africa had taken an “easier” route to the final. While the Proteas had faced India during the WTC cycle, they had not played England or Australia until the final itself—fueling the narrative that they hadn’t truly been tested.
But Conrad dismissed the idea that there’s any legitimate hierarchy at the top of Test cricket today.
“We are the Test champions now, so I feel absolutely nothing about the top three. I don’t believe that there is a top three.”
Underdogs? Not in this camp
Australia entered the WTC final as favorites, bolstered by a squad stacked with Test veterans, including Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon, both with over 100 Test matches. South Africa, by contrast, fielded a comparatively younger and less experienced lineup. But within the Proteas camp, there was never a moment of doubt.
“We always felt that we belonged. We never even felt that we were underdogs in any of this. There’s never a conversation that happened in any of our team talks,” said Conrad.
“Everybody dubbed Australia as the huge favourites, probably on the back of the experience more than anything else.”
‘Big Three’ is a myth in their own minds
South Africa’s unbeaten streak leading up to the final and their clinical performance at Lord’s served as a pointed rebuttal to the idea of a cricketing elite. Conrad believes the ‘Big Three’ is more of a media construct than a reflection of current cricketing reality.
“I don’t think we ever, ever felt that there is a big three. Only in their own minds is there a big three. We’ve never felt that there’s a big three. We might not have played England or Australia in the build-up to the final, but we managed to play Australia in the final, and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
