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Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma is a soft-spoken leader held in the highest regard, and what he has done for the game in South Africa is immeasurable according to Geoffrey Toyana.

Toyana, at one point tipped to become Proteas coach back in 2017 before Cricket South Africa went in a different direction, coached Bavuma at the Lions during the rising star’s formative years.

In fact, Toyana won four trophies in his first three seasons in charge at the Lions when Bavuma was making a name for himself in first-class cricket.

The pair actually go even further back, to when Bavuma was playing at Soweto Cricket Club and Toyana helped mentor the youngster.

Flash forward to 2025, and Bavuma is looking ahead to the World Test Championship final in June when he will lead the Proteas in their quest to win their elusive piece of ICC silverware.

The Proteas batsman was also honoured on April 1 by his tertiary institution St David’s Marist Brothers Inanda, which renamed its main cricket field to the Temba Bavuma Oval.

18:T55b,Proteas (https://www.iol.co.za/sport/cricket/proteas) skipper Temba Bavuma (https://www.iol.co.za/sport/cricket/st-davids-marist-inanda-celebrates-temba-bavuma-main-cricket-oval-renamed-in-his-honour-5c3ff7c9-68af-4de8-95bd-8bc4bdca1389) is a soft-spoken