Bavura admits pressure as South Africa gear up for defence of WTC crown
Johannesburg: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has acknowledged the pressure of defending their World Test Championship (WTC) title as the team prepares for a busy season that includes home series against Australia, Bangladesh and England.
South Africa, who won the WTC final against Australia at Lord’s in June 2025 to claim their maiden title in the competition, will be starting their campaign to retain the title with a Test series against Australia starting at Kingsmead in Durban on October 9. The three-match contest will continue at St George’s Park in Gqeberha and conclude at Newlands in Cape Town.
As the Proteas gear up for the start of their campaign with a home series, which starts the new WTC cycle for them, captain Bavuma admitted that they were under pressure, which came with holding the championship crown.
Bavuma also admitted that opposition teams will approach their fixtures against South Africa with renewed intensity.
“There is a target on our backs, if I could say it that way. Teams that are going to play against South Africa now will want to test their mettle against us as the No 1 team. If there is pressure, it is about us living up to that and being able to absorb pressure,” Bavuma told Times Live, speaking ahead of the upcoming home campaign.
The WTC-winning South Africa captain stressed that the team’s core identity and standards remain unchanged despite the added pressure and expressed confidence that the squad possesses the mental resilience to handle the demands of defending champions.
“There is a lot more foundational work that has gone on with the team, and I don’t believe it will change us. We know what we want to achieve; a lot of that identity has been set. It is just a case of finding a way to exceed the standards that we have set for ourselves in the past. We walk around proudly as Test Championship champions. Being in the changeroom, I don’t see guys scared when we talk about that,” Bavuma said.
Bavuma confirmed that preparation for the Australian series and subsequent home assignments is already underway. South Africa will face Bangladesh in a two-Test series at the Wanderers in Johannesburg and SuperSport Park in Centurion during November, followed by England across three venues in December and January.