• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Chokers Tag To Get Thrown Boucher Backs South Africa Ahead Of Wtc Final 2025

"Chokers Tag To Get Thrown...": Boucher Backs South Africa Ahead Of WTC Final 2025

Rajgeeta Yadav

Mark Boucher on South Africa [Source: @APCricketShorts and @ProteasMenCSA/X.com]Mark Boucher on South Africa [Source: @APCricketShorts and @ProteasMenCSA/X.com]

South Africa are all set to face Australia in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), starting June 11 at the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground. As the big match approaches, many experts feel that Australia, led by Pat Cummins, has the upper hand. They’ve also reminded fans of South Africa’s history of falling short in big games, often calling them "chokers."

Mark Boucher on South Africa's WTC Final Chance

But former South Africa cricketer and head coach Mark Boucher thinks it's unfair to label the current team that way. He agrees that people will keep using the “chokers” tag until South Africa win a major trophy, but also says the young players on the team don’t deserve to carry that baggage.

“We’re playing for a trophy, so I guess a lot of people are saying no [we can’t win], but I think it’s a different feel in Test match cricket," Boucher told ESPNcricinfo.

Boucher believes this WTC final could be a huge moment for South African Test cricket.

“It’s played over a longer period of time, and you’ve just got to win big moments in the game as well. Yes, there will be that tag [chokers] that gets thrown our way until we win a trophy. You’re not going to get rid of the tag. Is it deserving of these youngsters coming through? No, it’s almost like they’re carrying the burden of what happened in previous years, which is always going to be tough on them, but they’re the ones in control of their futures at the moment," he added.

This will be South Africa’s first-ever appearance in a WTC final. They performed well in the 2023-25 cycle, winning seven Tests in a row and finishing at the top of the points table with a 69.44% win rate.

South Africa have also recently faced heartbreak in other big tournaments, they’ve lost three consecutive T20 World Cup finals (two in women’s and one in men’s). That makes this WTC final a great chance to finally break that losing streak and prove their worth.

To prepare for the final, the Proteas are currently playing a warm-up match against Zimbabwe in Arundel. In that game, players like Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram have shown promising form