Cradling the Test mace, soaking up the sweet taste of success, Temba Bavuma perhaps took a moment to reflect on a long and unlikely journey to the top of the world. Many a great South African captain had tried and failed to lead their side to this sort of triumph, many a team of top talents falling short, the Protea name becoming a byword for blunders with the line in sight.
And so it took the lad from Langa, all of five-foot-four in his spikes but a towering figure in so many senses, to overcome the derision and doubters to lead the Rainbow Nation to unlikely cricketing glory. While his tale is well told, it is worth reflecting again on the barriers Bavuma had to overcome. When he was first picked, certain sections of South Africa suggested a Black batter had been selected only due to transformation targets; after cementing himself in the side and earning an elevation, they questioned his captaincy. The critics are quieter now.
