South Africa Reaches World Test Championship Final

South Africa secured a place in the World Test Championship final after a tense two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion, marking their sixth consecutive Test win. Coach Shukri Conrad dismissed criticisms regarding the uneven scheduling that benefited his team, expressing pride in their achievement and stating, "We're just thrilled that we can be at Lord's next year." South Africa's qualification comes despite having the fewest matches played among the top teams, with only 12 fixtures compared to England's 22 and Australia and India's 19. Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticized the current format for its imbalance, calling for a revamp to ensure a fair outcome. Australia's recent win against India puts them in contention to join South Africa in the final, although they still have crucial matches ahead. The disparity in match scheduling has raised concerns about the integrity of the championship's league standings.