Cricket South Africa has announced Temba Bavuma and Dean Elgar as the new respective Proteas captains for the limited-overs and Test teams.
Bavuma becomes the first permanent black African captain of a South African cricket team, replacing Quinton de Kock, who held the reins since Faf du Plessis stood down as captain from the team at the beginning of last year.
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De Kock was initially confirmed as captain of the team for the shorter formats only, but he accepted the responsibility of leading the Test outfit as well for the duration of the summer season.
Bavuma has only six ODI caps to his name but established himself in the team over the past 12 months and will lead the country into the upcoming T20 World Cups at the end of the year and in 2022, as well as the 2023 World Cup.
Elgar, on the other hand, will accept the responsibility of re-establishing the Proteas’ Test form after a lengthy run of poor results for close to two years.
The left-hander was long tipped to take over from Du Plessis and, with 67 Tests to his name, he is one of the most experienced players currently in the Test frame.
‘We are grateful to Quinton for the work he has put in as captain of the team in the limited overs formats and are indebted to him for stepping up while the National Selection Panel continued its search for the Test captain. We expect him to still play an integral role in the team’s leadership group,’ said CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith.
‘We as CSA are pleased with the appointments of Temba and Dean and believe that we have the men who will lead the Proteas back to their winning ways of old. The pair bring the required stability in both leadership and form to turn the ship in the direction that will eventually bring trophies back to the cabinets.
‘Temba has been a strong and influential voice in the team in recent times and has shown consistency on the field in all formats, solidifying his place as a leader. He also has the trust and backing of the players and coaches around him. We are excited to have him lead the Proteas in the upcoming T20 World Cups as well as the 2023 World Cup in India. He will also be the Test team’s vice-captain, working closely with Dean to ensure continuity and stability in the squad.
‘Dean has made no secret of his Test captaincy ambitions over the years and we are pleased to have a leader who is ready, willing and able to step up to the massive task of turning our Test cricket fortunes around. His role as a leader in the Test team has never been in doubt and I know that he relishes the prospect of captaining the Test team. We are confident that he will bring the same grit and determination to his captaincy as he has brought to his many performances on the field over many years.’
