OPINION: Proteas captain Temba Bavuma has silenced his critics

Temba Bavuma has always been lauded by his teammates for his leadership skills and he clearly brings more value to the squad than his performances as a top-order batter.

He has been repeatedly criticised by the public and the media, however, for not standing up when the national team needed the skipper most, particularly at the 2023 one-day World Cup in India (where South Africa reached the semifinals) after he scored just 122 runs in six matches at an average of 20.33.

In the Test format, however, he has shone as captain of the side.

In a total of 64 career Test matches, Bavuma has contributed 3 709 runs at an average of 38.22. As captain, he has racked up 911 runs in 10 matches at an average of 56.93.

Unbeaten run as skipper

Even more impressive is that the Proteas have gone unbeaten in all 10 of those games, winning nine and drawing one.

Though he was dismissed for two ducks in his first Test as captain against West Indies in Centurion in February 2023, Bavuma has since been a key member of the squad, hitting three centuries and five half-centuries.

In addition, the Proteas have won their last eight games on the trot (though Bavuma missed two of those fixtures against Bangladesh due to an elbow injury) on four different continents.

And while the national team were criticised for facing weaker opposition than other sides in qualifying for the World Test Championship final, Bavuma felt his squad had proved they deserved their spot by beating Australia by five wickets last week to lift the trophy.

‘It feels worth it’

Despite all the criticism, the skipper said it had all been worthwhile after leading the national team to a historic title.

“It’s not easy being captain of South Africa, and all the sacrifices, all the disappointment, in this moment it feels worth it,” he said.

Though he hasn’t always been great, Bavuma’s efforts both with the bat and as captain of the Test side over the last couple of years have ensured he will go down as a legend of the South African game.

And regardless of what else he achieves in his career, all the praise will be well deserved.