Proteas light the way to South Africa's destiny
The Proteas have shown us that we can deservingly take our place as one of the world's champion nations.
South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma holds the ICC World Test Championship Mace as he celebrates with his team-mates after victory against Australia. Picture: Glyn Kirk / AFP
Millions of words have been written about the power of sport to unite a nation – and particularly this fractious place we call our home, South Africa.
The story of Temba Bavuma and the Proteas cricket side is also a metaphor – and a harbinger of hope – for a country which is struggling not to collapse into a failed state.
It was Bavuma and this side who have copped perhaps the biggest flak from demanding and fickle fans in recent times… even though the others who went before them always seemed to falter at the final hurdles in the big tournaments.
Bavuma himself was singled out for some of the harshest criticism when his form see-sawed and more than a few haters hauled out the old racist trope about 'quota players'.
It's tough to be surrounded by such hostility and toxicity, yet Bavuma's stoic determination to get the job done was, in large part, what inspired the team to the heights of the World Test Championship this past weekend.
ALSO READ: Proteas did South Africa proud — Bok skipper Siya Kolisi
He remained batting even though he was in pain from his hamstring issues and his 'do or die' attitude would have filtered through to the team.
Take nothing away from the others in the team – the outstanding Aiden Markram in particular – who came together when it counted to beat the Aussies.
But it was Bavuma who got going when the going got tough.
As a nation, we have been chokers. We have failed to live up to the dreams of Nelson Mandela and truly become the 'Rainbow Nation' that Archbishop Desmond Tutu would wax lyrical about.
However, we can rise above it, weather the toxic atmosphere of anger, racism and distrust and take our place in the spot we deserve as one of the world's champion nations.
Bavuma and the Proteas have shown us how.
NOW READ: OPINION: Proteas have not discarded dreaded chokers tag yet
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Hold on South Africa, we're not hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix just yet…
An aerial view of the Kyalami Circuit in Midrand, Johannesburg. Photo: AFP Image: AFP Comment by Jehran Naidoo Judging by the comments online under the news about Kyalami's new 'Grade 1 FIA approval', it seems as though South Africans are convinced that we are set to host the grandest race of them all. Just to be clear, the announcement made this week by Kyalami Circuit boss Toby Venter was about them taking a step closer to hosting a F1 race. There is still a ton of work that needs to be done, and even after that costly work, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) can still close the door on South Africa's face. So, nothing's really set in stone at this point, but Kyalami Circuit does appear to be the front-runner ahead of the Cape Town bid when it comes to hosting the race. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ What was said this week? Kyalami's Grade 1 plans were approved by the FIA, meaning they were given the green light to upgrade their track to the highest possible standards in motorsport. When complete, Kyalami can compare itself to the likes of Fuji Speedway in Japan, Hockenheimring in Germany and the Indianapolis Speedway in the United States. Venter confirmed that the FIA had approved the plans to upgrade Kyalami to a Grade 1 race track. The 4.5km surface holds a Grade 2 licence. It is estimated that the upgrades will cost between R100 million and R180m. 'When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we made a commitment to restore it, not just as a world-class venue, but as a beacon for motorsport across the African continent. The FIA's acceptance of our Grade 1 design is a major step forward in that journey,' Venter said on Wednesday. Venter roped in UK-based motorsport engineering consultants Double Apex to help with their bid to host the race. Clive Bowen, director of Double Apex, said the upgrades would take around three months to complete. Bowen assured that these were 'light upgrades' to an already world-class facility. There are also plans to extend spectator areas. The upgrades will primarily revolve around enhancing run-off areas, barrier systems, debris fencing, kerbs, and drainage. No physical changes will be made to the circuit itself, and will remain the same from when Ayrton Senna drove his McLaren there back in the 1990s. What is a Grade 1 race track ? A Grade 1 track is supposed to be longer than 3.5km, but no longer than 7km. The straights cannot exceed 2km. Besides the hoard of safety measures that need to be adhered to, a Grade 1 track must also undergo annual inspections to ratify its status in the eyes of the FIA, and cough up a hefty fee in the process. The type of cars being raced on the surface also affects the Grade of licence you need to have. In the hybrid era that we currently find ourselves in, Formula 1 cars produce over 1,000 horsepower and weigh between 730kg and 760kg. With a power to weight ratio at that level, F1 cars require a Grade 1 level track to race on. If a Grade 1 licence is granted by the FIA, it is valid for a period of three years.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Proteas secure huge payday after winning World Test Championship
THAT WINNING FEELING The Proteas are set to receive over R64 million from the ICC for winning the World Test Championship, with the funds likely to be distributed among players, staff, and Cricket SA, while the team celebrated their victory at Lord's by defeating Australia. Picture: BackpagePix While the SA government have not yet revealed if the Proteas team and management will receive bonuses for winning the World Test Championship (WTC), they are still in store for a sum of over R64 million. The ICC will pay out not less than R64 million to the Proteas, depending on the exchange rate, as the winners will pocket $18m for their efforts. The breakdown of what players will receive has not been detailed, but the money will likely be split among the players, coaching and support staff, and Cricket SA. It also will probably never be publicly confirmed, but the players will receive the major share of the hefty sum.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Temba Bavuma hailed the greatest cricket captain in SA history
The Proteas cricket team, led by captain Temba Bavuma, received a resounding welcome when they arrived at the OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday with the ICC mace following their victory over Australia during the World Test Championship final at Lord's, England at the weekend. Image: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS SPORTS, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie sang praises for Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, confidently referring to him as the best captain the Proteas have ever had. With Bavuma having led his side to the first World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's last week and returning home with the ICC mace on Wednesday, McKenzie recognised the journey that the 35-year-old has been on in his career. Bavuma's career has been filled with criticism, with most of it unfair and lacking any basis. From the start of his Proteas stint, Bavuma was labelled as the first black African Test batter for South Africa – a tag that seemed to confine the right-handed batter and, to an extent, proved heavy to bear. 'For now, it's important for us to at least acknowledge and embrace what we've done,' said Bavuma. 'To take it all in, to understand as players the role that we played to get us to this point, and really just live in that moment for a little bit longer.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ McKenzie shone the light on Bavuma, saying: 'When you win, people forget what he said about you when you were not winning. There was a lot of unfair criticism against our captain. He was criticised by a person that doesn't even know the game of cricket,' said McKenzie. 'People used to write stuff, but what I like, they started deleting those tweets so fast, faster than our fastest bowler. I want to say to you, Temba, this country is truly rich because you are a citizen of this country. You are a fantastic captain. 'I want to apologise on behalf of every dumb critic in South Africa who used to go for Temba, on behalf of everyone who spoke nonsense about you. 'We have always believed in you. There's never been such a great cricket captain. This is the greatest cricket captain South Africa has ever had.' Following the WTC triumph at Lord's, the team sang a song to Bavuma, which made the rounds across the world and certainly reached McKenzie as well. The song was sung by children from all walks of Mzansi at the OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, something that McKenzie interpreted as the identity of the country. 'I saw a four-year-old white boy today singing that song. And I looked at that and I realised that this is who we are as South Africans,' said McKenzie. 'That boy was singing out of his chest. And that's what the media should concentrate on, not people talking about you.' Proteas coach Shukri Conrad added: 'There's so much else sitting in this change-room that scares me. It excites me at the same time, as to where we can go with this group. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of years.' Cape Times
