South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada believes that there is no extra pressure on his team to perform when it comes to playing at home at next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. All eyes will be on South Africa in 2027 when they co-host the 14th edition of the 50-over World Cup along with Zimbabwe and Namibia, and Rabada can’t wait for the action to start as well.

“Well, I think there’s a lot more to it at the moment with us hosting it,” Rabada said to the ICC at the official Cricket World Cup 2027 venue and brand announcement event in Johannesburg recently. “It’s almost like freedom as well. I don’t feel the pressure of us playing at home and feeling the need to win it. It’s almost like, we’re at home and we’re going to defend this fortress. And that’s what it means to me. It’s about representing the badge.”

Kagiso Rabada has been present in South Africa’s two most recent 50-over World Cup campaigns in 2019 and 2023, but the speedster has also admitted his mind floats back in time to before he was born in 1992 as well when the iconic spell from Pakistan legend Wasim Akram from the Cricket World Cup Final against England at the MCG as well.

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“One World Cup moment from the past that I’ll never forget, because I’m a bowler, I’m going to go to the bowlers’ club was Wasim Akram against England in the final,” Rabada said. “Him just cleaning up (the stumps) and putting on a show to take it home for his country and showing the passion and the skill. He was fast, had so much skill, and just had this presence, this heightened energy about him that he was there to play.”

“We’ve shown that we can go and play in finals and in the semi-finals,” Rabada said. “It’s just about that last step. So the confidence is there. The belief is most definitely there, just about going that one extra step.”