Temba Bavuma turns savage, destroys accusations of SA having easy path to WTC final

Temba Bavuma's South Africa had become the first team to seal a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in Centurion last year. Later, Australia defeated 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 the 2021-2023 cycle, but they failed to make it to the summit clash, as their journey finished at the third spot.

South Africa secures WTC Final 2025 spot with 7 straight wins

However, the Proteas have now earned a spot in the WTC Final 2025 with seven consecutive wins. But some fans and cricket experts, especially former England cricketers, have been questioning whether South Africa truly deserves to be in the final.

Actually, the South African side played a relatively low number of matches in the WTC 2023-25 cycle—just 11 Tests, while other teams like England (22), India (18), and Australia (16) have played more games.

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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 has sparked criticism, with many questioning the Proteas team’s place in the WTC Final 2025, while some felt they played a lower-ranked side, and it helped them to reach the summit clash.

Temba Bavuma unfazed by criticism over South Africa's qualification for WTC Final 2025

However, Temba Bavuma remains unfazed despite the criticism. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said that their place in the final is the only and best answer, ignoring the naysayers. South Africa has proved their worth by securing a top spot, and Bavuma has noted that is all the response the critics are getting now.

Temba Bavuma was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times: “No, I wouldn't like to respond to it. We are in the final; that's the only response that 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'd love to play more in South Africa. We'd love to be able to test our skills a lot more. We'd also like to be able to test our mettle 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 that it didn't determine the true better team. The skipper added, “I think of 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's the best. And there, you kind of didn't know who that was or who the best was.”

Bavuma also highlighted the disparity in the number of Tests played by different teams, with England playing far more than South Africa, as he feels everyone deserves a chance to test with the best. He signed off by saying, “So yeah, maybe they can institute those minimum amounts of tests. I think England played about 22 Tests last year. We played 12; that's almost 50 percent. So, you know, hopefully, you don't really get those types of disparities.”