At the 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final, Keshav Maharaj is adamant about following in the great footsteps of his predecessor.
At Lord’s, where the Proteas last held the trophy thirteen years ago, South Africa will compete against Australia for possession of the ICC Test Championship mace.
At the storied stadium, a legendary South Africa team led by Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, and Graeme Smith defeated England to become the world’s number one team that day. Keshav Maharaj said those memories are giving his team the motivation they need to do it again.
He remarked, “I saw that when they raised the mace.”
“We want to honour the legends of the past in addition to doing it for ourselves, and we hope that one day we will be viewed with the same respect and dignity to hold the Test mace and win such a coveted title.”
South Africa is in excellent form going into London after winning seven straight Test matches; their most recent loss was to New Zealand in February 2024.
The Proteas’ run put them atop the ICC World Test Championship standings and gave them a lot of confidence going into the last match against Australia.
“A lot of people didn’t think we’d be in this situation when we started the journey two years ago, but we grow more and more with each and every series,” Keshav Maharaj continued.
We are vying for another trophy because of the great complement between our youthfulness and experience.
“The boys have worked really hard. As we get closer, the anticipation is growing, and now it’s time to take it all in and seize the chance to play freely.
Keshav Maharaj is among several members of the South African team that have painfully approached winning ICC trophy in recent years.
The Proteas advanced to the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the spinner was a member of the team that placed second in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Even though those near-misses still hurt, Keshav Maharaj is adamant about making the most of them.
“In past attempts, nobody anticipated that we would make it to the knockout stages of any competition, but we have advanced to two semifinals and two finals,” he stated.
“Hopefully, after all of those misses, we win this one. The style of cricket we have played over the past three or four years provides us with a lot of motivation.
“Hopefully this is our chance to finally raise that most-coveted trophy that has eluded us for a number of years if we run with it and stay true to it.”
Personally, Keshav Maharaj is only two Test wickets away from reaching the 200-wicket mark.
Although the seasoned spinner is content to exchange individual praise for team accomplishments, he cannot avoid the possibility of reaching the milestone at Lord’s.
He said, “It would be very special.” “I hope to receive a 10-fer because I don’t focus too much on the numbers and just want to help make sure my team wins.
It would be quite amazing to accomplish that goal in front of my family at Lord’s, but I’ve enjoyed my journey thus far and hope I have a long time remaining.
“Every cricket player has a wish list of places they would like to play, and this is a fantastic chance for all of us.”
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