Bavuma's long road to Lord's: The Proteas skipper eyes Test mace glory

IT is very hard to compare the journey that Temba Bavuma has had to undertake to get to where he is now — leading the Proteas Test team ahead of next week’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's.

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The 35-year-old has endured all kinds of challenges in his career, and many of them have had little to do with his on-field performances. He has faced abuse on social media when results have not gone his way, and received scant credit when he has single-handedly carried the team.

Considering his journey — and given that Bavuma has now proven himself to many of his critics — there is growing hope that the Test mace will be the first of many trophies he brings home during his tenure as captain.

It seems the stars may finally be aligning for a man who has had to endure more hardship than celebration, to bring long-awaited glory to South African cricket — an environment that so desperately needs positive news.

Speaking to the media before boarding a flight to the UK last week, Bavuma admitted that winning the Test mace would bring meaning to everything he has gone through.