World Test Championship: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma on ‘career highlight’ of facing Australia in final

Bavuma was appointed Test captain by head coach Shukri Conrad, who took over in January 2023. Conrad began his playing career when South Africa was under apartheid rule and cricket was racially segregated.

“When he told me I’d be Test captain, my first question was, ‘Why?’ – because I’d felt it was this honour and privilege that you just had to accept,” says Bavuma.

“When he unequivocally said, ‘You’re the best player in the team and you’re the best person to lead it,’ that gave me a lot of confidence and comfort to step into those shoes.”

Trust and empathy are two qualities Bavuma emphasises when describing his relationship with Conrad.

After a Test series thrashing by Australia in 2022-23, Conrad, 58, took the time to sit with Bavuma and allowed him to open up.

“He asked really direct questions, more pertaining to the actual person, how I was, apart from the cricketer,” enthuses Bavuma.

“He really helped me get to a space where I could just enjoy cricket. That was a tough period in my career when you never really felt you could speak to anyone in and around the system.

“He can resonate with a lot of the struggles and experiences I faced as a cricketer. A lot of trust, through the vulnerability he allowed me to show, was built from that.”

And what of Bavuma’s own leadership style?

“As a captain, there’ll always be the essence of putting the team first, but I try to make sure my game is in order then try to empower the guys around me,” he says.

“It becomes a collective leadership style, freeing up the guys to be themselves and play their best cricket. That’s allowed this Test team to get to this point.

“It will definitely be a highlight in my career, just being there in the final at Lord’s against Australia.”

He smiles and adds: “It doesn’t get better than that.”