Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers confessed that he was initially uncertain about Temba Bavuma’s appointment as Test skipper in 2023. At a time when South Africa was struggling in the longest format, Bavuma has delivered results that few expected.
Temba Bavuma’s South Africa triumphed 2-0 in the recent Test series against India. After a vital fifty on a bowler-friendly pitch in Kolkata, Bavuma led his team to a dominant 408-run win in the second Test in Guwahati. South Africa became only the third team in history to whitewash India in a home Test series.
“He’s surprised all of us. I’ve talked about it with my friends for years. In the early years after he became captain, I wasn’t sure about the decision. Maybe it’s like the saying: you can’t judge a book by its cover,” de Villiers shared on a YouTube show with R Ashwin.
AB de Villiers pointed out that Temba Bavuma, unlike the imposing Graeme Smith, is quiet and soft-spoken. He believes Bavuma’s calm leadership style shows that different approaches to captaincy can still be successful.
“He doesn’t have the imposing presence of someone like Graeme Smith. Temba is a quiet, unassuming guy who rarely raises his voice. It just goes to show that different leadership styles can be effective.”
AB de Villiers compared Temba Bavuma’s leadership style to that of MS Dhoni, highlighting how both captains are calm and composed, rarely raising their voices. De Villiers mentioned that, like Dhoni, Bavuma earns respect through his calm demeanor, and despite his quiet nature, when he speaks, people listen. He expressed admiration for Bavuma’s success, noting how it has surprised him.
“I think it’s similar to how MS Dhoni led in the past. I rarely heard him raise his voice. He was calm, spoke little, but when he did, everyone listened. Temba seems to be the same way. He commands respect through his calmness, which is truly remarkable. His success has genuinely surprised me,” he added.