Temba Bavuma’s South Africa team became the first team to qualify for the finals of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) last year with a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion. Australia then beat India in the home Test series to join South Africa in the WTC Final 2025 in London.
After finishing fifth in the first WTC cycle, South Africa made a strong comeback in 2021-2023, but failed to reach the summit clash as their tour ended in third place.
South Africa secures place in WTC Final 2025 with 7 straight wins
However, the Proteas have now qualified for the WTC Final 2025 with seven straight wins. But some fans and cricket experts, especially former England cricketers, question whether South Africa really deserve to be in the final.
In fact, the South African side played relatively few matches in the WTC 2023-25 cycle – just 11 Tests, while other teams such as England (22), India (18) and Australia (16) played more.
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Despite playing fewer Tests, South Africa still managed to top the table with 66.67%. But their qualification drew criticism, with many questioning the Proteas’ place in the WTC Final 2025, while others felt they played a lower-class side that helped them reach the summit clash.
Temba Bavuma is concerned about criticism of South Africa’s bid to qualify for the WTC Finals 2025
However, Temba Bavuma remains undeterred despite the criticism. South African captain Temba Bavuma ignored the naysayers, saying their place in the final was the only and best answer. South Africa proved their worth by securing the top spot and Bavuma noted that this is the response critics are now getting.
Hindustan Times reported that Temba Bavuma said: “No, I would not want to answer that. We are in the final; That’s my only answer.”
The South African captain has 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 would like to test our skills more. We would also like to 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 against India, he felt it did not define the true better team. The skipper added: “I think about the India series we played here at home and it ended 1-1. It was only a two match streak and I think the end of that streak was a bit of an anticlimax. You know, you always play to see who is the best. And there, you didn’t know who he was or who the best was.”
Bavuma also highlighted the disparity in the number of Tests played by different teams, with England playing more than South Africa, as he believes everyone deserves a chance to test against the best. He signed off by saying, “Yes, maybe they can do a minimal amount of testing. I think England played about 22 Tests last year. We played 12; almost 50 percent. So, you know, hopefully, you’re not really getting those kinds of differences.”
