Shukri Conrad confirms South Africa's opening pair for WTC final
What's the story
South Africa's head coach Shukri Conrad has confirmed that Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram will open the batting in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 against Australia.
The match will be played at Lord's Cricket Ground, starting on June 11.
This decision confirms Rickelton's place in the XI, ahead of Tony de Zorzi, who is fit again and available for selection.
Performance-based selection
Rickelton's selection backed by impressive performance
Rickelton's selection as an opener was largely influenced by his brilliant performance in his last Test match against Pakistan at Newlands.
He scored a double century in that game, which was also when de Zorzi was ruled out due to injury.
Conrad praised Rickelton's left-handed style and adaptability to seaming conditions, saying these attributes give South Africa a huge advantage on English pitches.
Middle-order position
De Zorzi's potential role in WTC 2025 final
Conrad has said that although de Zorzi is a part of the squad for the final, his contribution will be determined by pitch conditions and team balance.
He may either play in the middle order or be a backup.
Conrad said, "We'll look at the balance we want to go with, whether Tony slots in at three...conditions will determine all of that."
Squad update
Lungi Ngidi returns to Test squad for WTC 2025 final
Lungi Ngidi has been included in the Test squad for the first time since August 2024.
Despite limited recent red-ball match experience, Conrad believes that Ngidi's fitness and ability to extract bounce make him a valuable asset, especially on Lord's traditional slope.
The pace department has faced challenges with Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee recovering from injuries.
Information
South Africa squad for WTC final
Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Kyle Verreynne (wk), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson.