South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma etched his name in the history books, leading South Africa to their first ICC title since 1998. Led by Bavuma, the Proteas went on to defeat Australia in the World Test Championship 2025 final at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
After the historic win, where South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets, Bavuma took centre stage and revealed how much the win meant to him. He also talked about how much it means for his heritage that he led the Proteas to an ICC title.
"It hasn’t been easy. It’s not easy being the captain of South Africa. And all the sacrifices, all the disappointments — in that moment, it really felt worth it. When you're going through it all, giving up is always an option. It’s always there, at the back of your mind. But something pushes you on. And for me, it was that moment there,” Bavuma said at the post-match press conference.
"To be recognised as more than just the Black African cricketer — to be seen as someone who’s done something the country has wanted — that means a lot. That’s something I’ll definitely walk around with, with my chest out,” he added.
Bavuma backed South Africa to win more titles
Temba Bavuma has played a pivotal role in leading South Africa to an ICC title. With the WTC title secured, the star batter opined that this could be the start of something big, as he backed his side to win even more titles.
"I think it'll be massive. I mean, that tournament, we're definitely setting our sights on doing special things in that tournament. There is still a way to go until then. Shukri (Conrad) obviously comes in now as the white-ball coach, so we'll see what plans that he has, who his personnel will be. But yeah, hopefully this is the start of those trophies for the team,” Bavuma said.