Temba Bavuma: from township cricket to leading Proteas past Australia
First Black Proteas captain led South Africa to World Test Championship triumph over Australia last June.
Temba Bavuma grew up playing street cricket in Langa, a township outside Cape Town, and has risen to captain South Africa in its biggest moment. Last June at Lord's, he steered the Proteas to their first World Test Championship win, stunning Australia in a thrilling decider.
Australians view him as a mystery in part because he doesn't play in franchise cricket and stays largely out of the spotlight. Josh Hazlewood, Australia's fast bowler, respects how Bavuma steps up when it matters most, grinding out tough innings even when injured.
In the WTC decider, playing through a hamstring problem, Bavuma scored more than a quarter of the 402 runs South Africa needed to win. He's now 36 and has won 11 of 12 Tests as captain.
South Africa sits ranked second in the world, setting up next year's WTC final at The Oval.
- Langa township, Cape Town
- Hometown
- 36 years old
- Current age
- 11 wins in 12 Tests
- Test record as captain
- 2nd in Test cricket
- World ranking
Why it mattersBavuma has rebuilt South African Test cricket from crisis to the world's second-ranked team, and Australia faces him again in a three-match series starting today.
AustraliaAustralians will compete against Bavuma's Proteas in the Test series beginning in Durban today, and South Africa poses a genuine threat to Australia's top ranking.
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