Last year, Temba Bavuma's South Africa became the first team to reach the finals of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan at Centurion. Australia then defeated India in a home Test match to join South Africa in the 2025 WTC finals in London.
After finishing fifth in the first WTC cycle, the South African team made a strong comeback in the 2021-2023 cycle, but they failed to reach the summit clash and ended up third.
South Africa secures berth in 2025 WTC finals with seven consecutive wins
However, the Proteas have now earned a spot in the 2025 WTC Finals on a seven-game winning streak. But some fans and cricket pundits, particularly former England cricketers, have been questioning whether South Africa really deserves to reach the final.
In fact, South Africa have played relatively few matches in the WTC 2023-25 cycle, with just 11 Test matches, compared to other teams such as England (22), India (18) and Australia (16) There are more games.
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Despite playing fewer Test matches, South Africa still tops the list with a scoring rate of 66.67%. But their qualifications have sparked criticism, with many questioning the Proteas' place in the 2025 WTC finals, while others believe they are a lower-ranked team that has helped them rise to the top.
Temba Bavuma not criticized for South Africa's qualification for 2025 WTC finals
However, despite the criticism, Temba Bavuma remains unmoved. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said reaching the final was the only and best answer, ignoring the naysayers. South Africa has proven its worth by occupying the top spot, and Bavuma points out that's all the response critics are getting now.
The Hindustan Times quoted Temba Bavuma as saying: “No, I don't want to respond to that. We are in the final; that's my only response.
The South Africa 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-game series. Temba Bavuma noted: “Yes please. We would love to play more games in South Africa. We would like to be able to test our skills more. We would also like to be able to test our mettle more.
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Temba Bavuma calls for three-Test series to determine best team
Looking back at South Africa's recent two-match series against India, he feels it did not determine the truly better team. The skipper added: “I think of our series against India at home, which ended 1-1. It was only a two-match series and I thought the series ended a little bit anticlimactic. You know, you always It's the competition to know who's the best. Where you kind of don't know who it is or who's 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 believed everyone should have the chance to play a Test with the best team. He concluded: “So, yes, maybe they can do a minimum amount of Tests. I think England played about 22 Test matches last year. We played 12; it was almost 50 per cent. So, you know, hopefully you You won't really encounter these types of differences.
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