Kagiso Rabada opens up on `star` tag post WTC final victory

South African pacer Kagiso Rabada said he doesn’t see himself as a star, even though the statistics suggest otherwise, especially after his heroics in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.

The 30-year-old returned impressive figures of nine for 110 in the WTC Final. With this performance, he moved to fourth on South Africa’s all-time wicket-takers list and now boasts the best strike rate in Test history among bowlers with over 200 wickets.

Reflecting on the `star` label, Rabada said he plays for the badge with pride and continues to work hard to improve. “I don`t see myself as a star. I see myself as someone who`s willing to give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That`s me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride,” he said.

Rabada further stated how important the second innings spell turns out to be for a bowler. “I`ve been working extremely hard, and those second-inning spells are the ones that count more when you`re a bit tired. You could be behind the game, or you could be ahead of the game. This time, we`re behind the game. But I think it was just about staying calm and looking at what`s in front of us. That`s the way I see myself,” he added.

Speaking about Rabada`s heroics at the Lord`s Cricket Ground, Shukri Conrad said: “Where did we turn it around? Obviously, that bowling performance, because we could easily have fallen asleep in the field, and then they would have gotten away from us in a big way. As for KG (Rabada) – that`s why he`s the superstar. He knew we had one chance at it.”

During the WTC final, opening batsman Aiden Markram also played a crucial role with the willow. Facing 207 deliveries, he smashed 136 runs, including 14 boundaries, with a strike rate of 65.70. Skipper Temba Bavuma scored 66 runs in 134 balls, which was laced with five boundaries. David Bedingham stayed unbeaten on 21 runs off 49 balls. With this, the Proteas ended their 27-year wait to clinch a major ICC title.

(With ANI Inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day