Temba Bavuma's South Africa became the first team to seal a place in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) final with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in Centurion last year. Australia later beat India in the home Test series to join South Africa in the WTC 2025 final in London.
After finishing fifth in the first WTC cycle, South Africa bounced back strongly in the 2021-2023 cycle but failed to reach the summit clash, their journey ending in third place.
South Africa secure their place in the WTC 2025 finals with 7 straight wins
However, the Proteas have now booked a place in the WTC 2025 Finals with seven straight wins. But some cricket fans and pundits, especially former England cricketers, questioned whether South Africa really deserved to be in the final.
In fact, the South African team played a relatively low number of matches in the 2023-25 WTC cycle – just 11 Tests, while other teams such as England (22), India (18) and Australia (16) played more games.
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Despite playing fewer Tests, South Africa still managed to top the table with a run percentage of 66.67%. But their qualification drew criticism, with many questioning the Proteas' place in the WTC 2025 Finals, while some felt playing a lower-ranked team helped them reach the summit clash.
Temba Bavuma unfazed by criticism of South Africa's qualification for WTC 2025 Finals
However, Temba Bavuma remains steadfast despite the criticism. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said their place in the final is the only and best answer, ignoring the naysayers. South Africa have proved their worth by securing a top spot and Bavuma noted that this is all the response critics are getting now.
Temba Bavuma was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying, “No, I wouldn't want to answer that. We are in the finals; that's the only answer I have.”
The South African captain called for a more balanced and competitive series in the World Test Championship (WTC) format. Bavuma wants all teams to play at least a three-match series. Temba Bavuma remarked: “Yes please. We would like to play more in South Africa. We'd love to be able to test our skills a lot more. We also wish we could test our courage more.”
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Temba Bavuma calls for a three-match Test series to determine the best team
Reflecting on South Africa's recent two-match series with India, he felt it did not bring out the true better team. The skipper added: “I think about the India series we played here at home, which ended 1-1. It was only a two game streak and I think the end of that streak was a bit of an anticlimax. You know, you're always playing to see who's the best. And there, you didn't know who it was or who was the best.”
Bavuma also pointed to the disparity in the number of Tests played by different teams, with England playing far more than South Africa, as he believes everyone deserves a chance to test with the best. He concluded by saying, “So yes, maybe they can institute those minimal amounts of testing. I think England played about 22 Tests last year. I played 12; i.e. almost 50 percent. So, you know, hopefully you don't really understand those kinds of disparities.”