Former Proteas batsman Herschelle Gibbs has credited captain Temba Bavuma for South Africa’s victory over Australia in this month’s World Test Championship final.
Bavuma was among South Africa’s leading run-scorers in Test cricket in 2023 and 2024 – and hit 36 and 66 in last week’s five-wicket win over Australia at Lord’s. Bavuma has collected four centuries in 110 Test innings. He has never lost a Test as captain. He has won nine and drawn one.
“He has done the hard yards over the last three years or so. I must give him credit. He has been a lot more consistent than he was in previous years. I must give credit where it is due,” Gibbs told Club Cricket SA, via 10bet.
“Top-order batsmen need to score centuries – that’s the benchmark with regards to how good you really are. My opinion on that won’t change. But, like I said, Temba has led by example with important runs – I will give him that. He has been our leading run-scorer in Test cricket and I have to give him credit for that, definitely.
“As a captain, he has used what he has over the last few years really well. His decision, at times, has been fine. A lot of time he has made a change and it has worked. His reading of the game has been pretty good. He must definitely get credit for that.”
This is South Africa’s first International Cricket Council title since winning the Champions Trophy in 1998. They have lost five Champions Trophy semi-finals and five Cricket World Cup semi-finals. Last year, South Africa lost the T20 World Cup final.
“Winning this one-off World Test Championship final probably isn’t necessarily as big as winning a World Cup. It can’t be because a World Cup is a World Cup. The World Cup happens ever four years, while the WTC is over a two-year cycle. Winning a World Cup would be really special. We have obviously come close, but we are not there yet. That’s all I wanted when I played – to win a World Cup,” added Gibbs.
“And things have changed since – Graeme Smith, remember, held the Test mace. Years down the line, being number one back then has evolved into needing to win the World Test Championship final now. We have effectively reclaimed the mace. It is a fantastic win for the lads and hopefully it will lead to them getting more Test cricket in the future. You can’t have so many nations playing so few Tests over long periods.”
Gibbs is South Africa’s sixth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. He scored 14 Test centuries between 1996 and 2008. Three were against England and three against the West Indies. Gibbs’ only Test century against Australia came at Kingsmead in Durban in 2002, when the opposition bowling attack comprise fast bowlers Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee – and leg-spinner Shane Warne. McGrath, Warne, Lee and Gillespie shared 1,840 Test wickets.
Australia’s bowling attack for the 2025 WTC final included fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – and Nathan Lyon. Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon have shared 1,522 Test wickets.
“I will put my head on the block and say you obviously can’t really compare this bowling attack with when Australia had Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee. The four of them together almost took 2,000 Test wickets. Australia had teams led by Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting – you won’t see the likes of those teams again. It was a privilege to play against those great Australians,” concluded Gibbs.