Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada says it’s time for the Proteas to shift their focus from the highs of Lord’s to the challenges that lie ahead, starting with the white-ball tour of Australia.
South Africa face Australia in three T20Is and three ODIs, with the first match taking place in Darwin on Sunday.
It will be Rabada’s first appearance since the Proteas’ historic victory over the Aussies in the World Test Championship final in June.
“I think it was special, and I’ve done so many interviews on that since,” Rabada said of the triumph at Lord’s. “I think it’s time to move on. I don’t think we’ll forget about that ever as a team, and South Africa won’t ever forget, but time to move on now.”
The five-wicket win gave the Proteas their first major ICC trophy since the 1998 Champions Trophy and came after years of heartache at limited-overs tournaments.
“It was kind of like a relief. But the show moves on, and moving toward the T20 World Cup, I guess the approach will be a bit different. Now, you know, there’s no fear of anything.”
The Australia tour will give South Africa the chance to build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, as well as the 2027 ODI World Cup, which they will co-host.
“For me it’s extremely exciting to see [young players] raring to go,” Rabada added. “It’s just about trying to see where we’re at as a team, moving into almost like another generation.”
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As for the familiar rivalry with the Aussies, Rabada expects it to bring the best out of the Proteas.
“It’s always some hard cricket being played, some good cricket. Whenever we play Australia, I always feel like they get the best out of us, because they’re sort of in our faces. And I guess we like that.”
Having turned 30 in May, Rabada welcomed the break he’s had since June.
“Thankfully, I’ve had quite a long break, so that’s been awesome. Maintenance work consistently has to be done because the volume of cricket is quite a bit.”
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Our Proteas Men’s bowling spearhead, Kagiso Rabada, is showing nothing but pure grit and intensity in his preparations this week ahead of the upcoming series. 💪🔥#WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/YaKi4W5ndA
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 6, 2025
Photo: Alex Davidson/ICC via Getty Images
