Cricket South Africa made a landmark decision on Friday when they announced that Temba Bavuma will take over as the captain of the Test team, replacing Dean Elgar. Elgar skippered the Proteas across 15 Tests over the last two years and enjoyed a series win over India as well. However, his last assignment against Australia wasn't a great one.
However, Bavuma will not continue in his position as the skipper of the T20I side.
The changes come as part of the post-Mark Boucher era in South African cricket, with the veteran batter also set to lead the charge in the longest format of the game for the Proteas.
Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe welcomed Bavuma as the skipper of the team and said that they trusted him to deliver all their expectations and carry the team forward.
"Cricket South Africa would like to welcome Temba as the new captain of the Proteas Men's national team," said Nkwe.
"He is a player that has vast captaincy experience both at the domestic level and on the international stage having led both the ODI and T20I teams since March 2021 when he was appointed. We trust he will deliver on all our expectations and help carry the team forward after some excellent work by his predecessor Dean during the same period.
"At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Dean for all his commitment to the role over the past two years. He helped the team navigate through some stormy waters and put them in a good position on the ICC World Test Championship table. Both men have made us proud with the work they have done within the wider Proteas group and look forward to the next step in what is a new era for the Proteas under the leadership of dual coaches Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter," he added.
Bavuma's first series as the Test team skipper will come in a two-match series against West Indies.
