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Temba BavumaSouth Africa South Africa had become the first team to seal a place in the finals of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in Centurion in past Later, Australia defeated India in the home Test series to join South Africa in the WTC 2025 final in London.
After finishing fifth in the first cycle of the WTC, South Africa made a strong comeback in the 2021-2023 cycle, but fell short of the summit clash as their journey ended in third place.
South Africa secure place at WTC 2025 Final with 7 straight wins
However, the Proteas have now earned a place in the WTC 2025 Final with seven straight wins. But some cricket fans and pundits, especially former England cricketers, have questioned whether South Africa really deserve to be in the final.
Indeed, the South African side played a relatively low number of matches in the 2023-25 WTC cycle – just 11 Tests, while other teams as 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 run percentage of 66.67%. But their qualification has drawn criticism, with many questioning the Proteas’ place in the WTC 2025 Finals, while some felt playing a lower-ranked team helped them reach the top.
Temba Bavuma not fazed by criticism of South Africa’s qualification for WTC 2025 Finals
However, Temba Bavuma remains unfazed 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 pointed out that this is all the response the critics are getting now.
Temba Bavuma was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying, “No, I wouldn’t like to answer that. 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 like to be able to test our skills a lot more. We would also like to be able to test our worth a lot 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 determine the true best team. The skipper added: “I think about the India series we played here at home, which ended 1-1. It was only a two-match series, and I think the end of that series was a bit of an anticlimax. You know, you always play to know who is the best. And there, you didn’t know who 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 against the best. He signed off by saying: “So yes, maybe they can institute these minimum amounts of Tests. I think England played about 22 Tests last year. We played 12 – that’s almost 50 per cent. So, you know, hopefully, you don’t really get those kinds of disparities.”
