While markram

When Temba Bavuma: When Temba Bavuma was selected for South Africa's Test squad to debut against the West Indies in December 2014, many viewed his inclusion with scepticism, as merely another case of affirmative action.

In a country where very few non-white cricketers have donned the national cap since the end of apartheid and South Africa’s return to international cricket, the debate has often centred around merit versus the need for inclusive representation and transformation.

That debate had quieted somewhat by 2021 when Bavuma was named South Africa’s captain. By then, “Don Temba” had already silenced many critics: he had become the first black African cricketer to score a Test century for South Africa and was among only three South Africans to notch a century on his ODI debut.