Temba Bavuma didn’t punch the air in delight. He didn’t join the rest of his teammates as they sprinted onto the field at Lord’s, London. The South African captain instead remained on the Lord’s balcony, moments after the winning run was struck. He stood still, soaking in the emotions as South Africa clinched the World Test Championship Final, ending a 27-year-long wait. It was the pinnacle of his Test career – arguably the most significant moment in South Africa’s cricketing history.
When he finally emerged to collect the Test mace, the Lord’s crowd reserved its loudest cheer for Temba Bavuma. He had taken South Africa where no other man had: to a major ICC trophy. The occasion was made even more meaningful by the years of near-misses that preceded it, and by the fact that it came under the leadership of the country’s first-ever black African captain. It was a moment of reckoning — a message from Bavuma and his team to a nation still marked by the shadows of its racial history.
With the poise of a leader who had fought for more than just a trophy, Bavuma offered a heartfelt message to his fellow South Africans.
“I mean, us as a team, you know, we got ourselves into the final. There were doubters as to the route that we took – supposedly playing weaker teams. We’re happy that we were able to perform our best, and hopefully that kind of squashes that.
“And I think for us as a country, you know, here’s an opportunity for us to – as divided as we are at times – to forget all of that, rejoice in this moment, and just be one. You know, I’m sure the people back home will be celebrating it with us, and you can trust that we’ll be celebrating it,” Bavuma said.
South Africa, like Bavuma, silenced the doubters. Questions had been raised about the legitimacy of their place in the World Test Championship Final, despite finishing at the top of the standings. They played fewer matches than India, Australia and England, and critics argued that their victories came against lesser opponents. But on the biggest stage, South Africa dismantled serial winners Australia, extinguishing any lingering doubts. For Bavuma, it was a landmark moment in a remarkable journey – the first black African captain of the Proteas becoming the first to lift an ICC trophy.
Despite his talent, Bavuma has long been scrutinised. His place in the side was questioned, and the ‘quota’ system was repeatedly highlighted whenever he failed. But he answered his critics with a standout performance in the 2023–25 WTC cycle – scoring 711 runs at an average of 49 and remaining unbeaten as captain.
