Exclusive: Ryan Rickelton reckons the Centurion Test is the most important as South Africa push for WTC final spot

Proteas batter, Ryan Rickelton, and his teammates are bracing for a mouth-watering encounter against Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion this week.

With the venue known to be one of the fastest and bounciest wickets in the world, a set of conditions that a subcontinent team such as Pakistan would not be accustomed to, South Africa has a golden opportunity to win the match and book a spot in the World Test Championship final in London next year.

In a conversation with SportsBoom's Ongama Gcwabe, Rickelton said reaching the final would be an amazing feat for what is a young and inexperienced Test team.

"To get to the final would be an amazing feat. It's something that a young team wouldn't have thought would be true at the beginning of the year," said Rickelton. 

"There were no expectations but to find ourselves in a position where we could get there and have a crack at it is something that is on our minds. It's something that if we manage to have a good week this week, it would be a big dream come true.

"It will be a different Test this one especially this first Highveld Test probably the most important one. It's familiar conditions for me but I think it will be a good game. I back myself to score runs whenever I play especially in conditions I'm familiar with."

With Australia and India also vying for a spot in the final, Rickelton told SportsBoom that the final would make for an interesting spectacle given the competitiveness of both teams.

"Australia and India have been leading from the front in Test cricket for the last few years, he said.

"No matter who we come up against which will most likely be one of them it will be formidable opponents. It's more about focusing on ourselves and making sure that we are as prepared as much as we can and trying to give us the best chances of coming right."

Going into the two-match series against Pakistan, Rickelton says that South Africa is in good spirits having won three consecutive series in the past five months.

"The group in the red ball side is quite a tightened group. It's a happy camp, hardworking and also a relaxed camp at the same time. The guys connect well off the field and on the field as well,": he said.

"It really helps that everyone is pitching in and putting in performances so that takes the load off the usual big guys like KG and everyone. The energy is really good and we're definitely looking forward to these two Tests and getting stuck in."

Rickelton's Test career has been one where he has had a few opportunities far apart from each other. The left-handed batter has had to wait his turn but eventually got a run in the recently concluded Sri Lanka series and scored a maiden Test ton.

"Tough sitting on the side but it's part of the game. It can get a bit frustrating having one Test here and nothing for a period and another," said Rickelton.

"Trying to string performances together can be quite difficult but cricket is a game where there's always another opportunity whether that's in a different format so there's always something to look forward to."