WTC Final: All eyes on the ball, and none on those facing it

WTC Final: All eyes on the ball, and none on those facing it

The WTC final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's this week has seen a significant shift in focus from batting to bowling. With five of the top 10 ranked bowlers in the world in the squads, the pre-final buzz has centered on the bowlers.

Australia's Steve Smith on the shift in emphasis

"We've been training really well the last week or so, and all the batters feel like they're in a good place," Smith said. "So now we're excited to go out and play. It's another WTC final. We've got some fond memories of last year, just down the road."

South Africa's Shukri Conrad on the batting group's confidence

"It's pretty normal to chat about the bowlers when you've got guys like Kagiso Rabada, ranked two in the world, and Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj," Conrad said. "But on the batting front there's a quiet confidence among the batting group. They might not have superstar names, but as a collective we're pretty confident."

The Dukes ball: a challenge for batters

The Dukes ball, used in England, has a flatter seam and less pronounced movement than the Kookaburra. This could be good news for batters, but Smith sees it as a challenge: "It's about playing what's in front of you. I think the Dukes ball can swing for longer. For me as a batter, it's about using the swing; going with it."

Conrad on adjusting to the Dukes ball

"It takes a little bit of adjusting," Conrad said. "We got a little bit of that out of the warm-up match in Arundel, and in the nets we've had. I think whatever adjustments needed to be made have been made."

Stuart Broad's influence

Broad, who has taken 398 of his 604 wickets with the Dukes, joined the South Africans for training on Monday. He knows how to bowl with this ball at this ground against these opponents, but can he teach his temporary teammates the secret in such a short time?