Temba Bavuma’s South Africa had become the first team to clinch a place in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) final with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan at Centurion year last. Later, Australia 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 made a strong comeback in the 2021-2023 cycle, but failed to qualify for the summit clash, its journey dwindling. being finished in third place.
South Africa secures place in WTC 2025 final with 7 consecutive victories
However, the Proteas have now earned a place in the 2025 WTC final with seven consecutive wins. But some fans and cricket experts, including former England cricketers, are questioning whether South Africa really deserves to qualify for the final.
In fact, the South African team has played a relatively low number of matches during the 2023-25 WTC cycle: just 11 tests, while other teams like England (22), India (18) and Australia (16) have played more matches.
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Despite playing fewer Tests, South Africa still managed to top the table with a points percentage of 66.67%. But their qualification drew criticism, with many questioning the Proteas team’s place in the 2025 WTC final, while some felt they were playing against a lower-ranked team, which helped them reach the top .
Temba Bavuma unfazed by criticism over South Africa’s qualification for WTC 2025 final
However, Temba Bavuma remains unfazed despite the criticism. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said their place in the final was the only and best answer, ignoring the naysayers. South Africa proved their worth by securing the top spot, and Bavuma noted that is the only response the critics are currently receiving.
Temba Bavuma reportedly told the Hindustan Times: “No, I wouldn’t want to answer it. We are in the final; That’s the only answer I have.
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 noted: “Yes, please. We would like to play more in South Africa. We would love to be able to test our skills a lot more. We would also like to be able to test our courage further.
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Temba Bavuma calls for three-match Test series to determine best team
Reflecting on the recent two-match series between South Africa and India, he feels that it did not determine the true best team. The skipper added: “I think of the India series we played here at home, which ended 1-1. It was only a two-game series, and I think the end of that series was a little disappointing. You know, you always play to see who is the best. And there, we didn’t know at all who it was or who was the best.
Bavuma also highlighted 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 finished by saying, “So yeah, maybe they can institute that minimum number of tests.” I think England played around 22 Tests last year. We played with 12; it’s almost 50 percent. So, you know, I hope you don’t really get those kinds of disparities.
