Thank you, Temba: An Open Letter to South Africa's WTC Winning Class of 2025
After decades of heartbreak, South Africa finally found their moment — and it meant everything.
Dear Temba, thank you.
For bearing the burden of pain, expectations, and voices that never believed in you. For carrying the weight of a nation as its leader. For your Player of the Series performance in Sri Lanka and for becoming this team's most consistent batter over the last two years.
You stood tall in the Final. You hobbled on one leg and carried generations on your back with an unforgettable 147-run stand with Markram.
You didn't just survive. You answered the critics. And most importantly, the call of a nation desperate for a moment like this.
Dear Kagiso, thank you.
For walking through fire—the off-field controversies, the noise, and the no balls—to deliver one of the finest bowling displays in South African history.
For the many five-fers across the two-year cycle, the brilliance in Bangladesh, and the records you shattered along the way.
But at Lord's, you climbed higher. In those four days, you touched greatness.
Dear Aiden, thank you.
For the innings of a lifetime against the fiercest of attacks in Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, and Lyon. You held your nerve and found your flow.
After the disappointment of the T20 World Cup, you came back stronger. From the innings against Pakistan to the balcony at Lord's, you never looked back.
And yes, thank you for those beautifully exquisite cover drives. And for the golden arm off-spin, always delivering when its least expected. As Temba said, you got character, mate. And that is what matters.
Dear Lungi, thank you.
For proving you could bowl the long, decisive spells. You changed the game with grit and rhythm when it mattered the most.
Dear Marco, thank you.
For that catch. For the spells.
For becoming the all-rounder that South Africa can rely on. And for the Player of the Series performance against Pakistan that helped carry this team to the Final.
Dear Keshav, thank you.
For being the senior pro that the team could look up to. The heartbeat of the team. Your constant contributions in Bangladesh and Sri lanka, and that magnificent performance against the West Indies were vital in bringing South Africa to the Final.
And those tears of joy and relief after the win? Those moments are etched in our memories forever.
Dear Kyle, thank you.For that century in Bangladesh and the 105 in Sri Lanka. And most of all, for hitting the winning runs. That image will never be forgotten.
Dear David, thank you.For choosing the road less traveled by and going to that New Zealand tour while others played in the SA20. For scoring that gutsy 110. And what a performance in the final, rescuing South Africa in the first innings and staying till the very end in the second.
Dear Tristan, thank you.For taking clutch catches in the final and for providing sparks of brilliance throughout the campaign with knocks of 122, 106, 68*, 30* that lit up the campaign. The future is bright, and it's all yours.
Dear Ryan, thank you.
For that 259 against Pakistan in a must-win game. The innings that kept the dream alive and pushed South Africa one step closer to glory.
Dear Wiaan, thank you.
For doing the tough jobs with a smile. An all-round showing against the West Indies, a century at #7 in Bangladesh, and a crucial knock at #3 in the Final that kept South Africa in the game.
Dear Dean, thank you. For opening this World Test Championship cycle with a magnificent 185. For setting the tone. You may have retired, but your imprint in this triumph remains.
Dear Tony, Senuran, Dane, Corbin—thank you.
Tony's 177, Muthuswamy's 4-fer vs Bangladesh, Dane's 5-fers vs Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and Corbin's 4-fer & 81* vs Pakistan all played a role. Every contribution mattered. The bench is strong, and South Africa's future in Test cricket is bright.
And Dear Coach Conrad Shukri and the Support Staff, thank you.
For backing this group. You helped nurture an environment from which champions could emerge.
So once again, I say,
Thank you Temba.
Thank you Kagiso.
Thank you Aiden.
Thank you Conrad. And to Ryan, Wiaan, Tristan, David, Kyle, Marco, Keshav, Lungi, Tony, Corbin, Dane, and Senuran, Dean, Nandre, Gerald, and anyone I am forgetting, thank you.
For those Who Always Believed
I may not be South African, but through Hashim Amla's elegance, Faf du Plessis' blockathons, AB de Villiers' magic, and Dale Steyn's action I spent hours trying to imitate, I fell in love with South African cricket.
More often than not, I found myself cheering for them. Every story felt personal. Every match felt like it was mine. And when the 2015 semi-final ended in a heartbreak, it left scars, even for a neutral fan.
That's why this win means more. This team didn't just lift a trophy, they healed something. And if it healed something in me, I can only imagine what it meant to those who lived this journey for a lifetime.
I may not grasp every nuance of South African society or the full weight of what this means in a broader context. But I understand what it means to love a team through pain and to finally see them rise.
This is for every cricketer that played a part in the beautiful cricketing history of the Rainbow nation. And for every Protea fan who stood by their team through the highs and lows.
This is for you. And this is for me.
What an absolute moment for world cricket.
South Africa's Dream, Realized by Bavuma and the Class of 2025
Persistence pays.
Through the heartbreaks and doubts, this team did not give up. Did not deviate from the end goal.
Thank you, Temba. Thank you, South Africa.
For the belief. For the fight. For the quiet grace with which you carried the weight of history. From a fan who watched with admiration, I will not forget what the Class of 2025 gave us.
Thank you for reading. Comment below on what this win meant to you, would love to hear it!
Originally published on Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog.