Aiden Markram hopes WTC Final win helps reignite Test cricket in South Africa

Player of the Match in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025, Aiden Markram has hoped that the win will reignite the country's passion for the red-ball format. Speaking after the team's first ICC trophy win in 27 years, Markram hoped that Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport in his nation.South Africa's relationship with Test cricket had been dwindling in recent years. Amongst the teams participating in the World Test Championship, South Africa played the joint lowest number of Test matches—12, alongside Bangladesh. In comparison, Australia and India played 19 matches, while England played 22.advertisementWTC Final 2025: Match Report | As it Happened
Markram stated that Test was his favourite format and hoped that young cricketers strive for the Test cap in the Rainbow Nation."It has always been my most favourite and most important format. Naturally, the choice of format is not in our hands, it is sort of the cards that you get dealt, really. It is really important, in my opinion, to keep Test cricket as the No. 1 format in South Africa. We understand the dynamics of the cricket world, but it is more about the young guy coming through and for him to consider the Test cap as the most important thing in South Africa. How long he plays for is a completely different conversation nowadays, but the No. 1 priority should be to play Test cricket, and I have always believed that," Aiden Markram said after the WTC Final.advertisementThe right-hander was under the pump while coming into bat in the second innings of the match. South Africa seemed to be down and out of the competition after letting Australia set a target of 282 runs, a sum of runs that had not been chased at Lord's in the last 20 years.A defiant Markram said that answers had hopefully been provided from the team's end, who had been knocking on the doors of multiple ICC finals in recent times."All the questions that have been asked in the past have now hopefully been answered. In my opinion, the WTC Final was going to be the toughest one, as many days of good cricket can only get you results," Markram said.Asked about the feeling of walking back to the pavilion after getting South Africa within reach of a historic win, Markram said that he wished he could have soaked it in more."I wish I could have (stood there and soaked in the standing ovation). But that is me being me, I was so angry at myself when I got out. But there is definitely one or two memories from that," he concluded.Must Watch

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