Courtesy: BCCI/IPL/PBKS
South Africa pacer Marco Jansen will be expected to be at his best against Australia in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final to be played at the iconic Lord’s in London from June 11 to 15. The lanky Protea speedster was a crucial member of Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Jansen left the PBKS camp on May 27, for gearing up for the marquee red-ball contest against the Aussies. The left-arm speedster looked in brilliant touch with the ball for Punjab, grabbing 16 wickets in 14 outings. During his IPL 2025 campaign, the 25-year-old worked with former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, who served Kings as head coach.
Days before the WTC 2025 final, Jansen revealed Ponting’s witty message to him before leaving India. “Before I left (India), he (Ricky Ponting) just said ‘good luck, I hope you do well, but I hope you lose'. I learnt a lot from him, especially from a mental point of view. He is always positive and he always sees the good stuff instead of the bad stuff, if it makes sense. And I think that’s why he’s a legend of the game, because you always lean towards what could happen instead of what could go wrong,” Jansen was quoted as saying by ICC Digital.
South Africa will aim to win their first ICC trophy after 27 years
South Africa will endeavour to hold their nerves against the reigning champions Australia in the WTC 2025 final. The Proteas have never won any International Cricket Council (ICC) event since 1998. 27 years back, South Africa won the inaugural edition of the Champions Trophy held in Bangladesh.
It’s their only title win in ICC tournaments and that notable success came under Hansie Cronje’s leadership. Australia have shattered South Africa’s dream of winning ICC trophies several times. In recent times, the Aussies beat Temba Bavuma and his boys by three wickets in the Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final played at the iconic Eden Gardens.
