‘Kagiso Rabada will go down as one of the greats of the game’: WTC-winning captain makes a bold prediction | Cricket News

Mumbai: Hailing Kagiso Rabada, South African captain Temba Bavuma said he feels “super privileged” to have the country’s leading fast bowler in the team, adding that “KG will definitely go down as one of the greats of the game.”“As a captain, I am super, super privileged to be able to call upon him. He takes charge of the fast bowling group, sets the standards, and others follow him. I’m sure he’ll probably continue for a couple more years, as long as the hunger is there, but KG will definitely go down as one of the greats of the game,” Bavuma said about Rabada, who has taken 336 wickets in 71 Tests @21.74. Bavuma made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.The 30-year-old paceman was instrumental in South Africa’s World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord’s in June, taking five for 51 and four for 59 to finish with a match haul of nine for 110, bowling the Aussies out for 212 in both innings.“I mean, statistically, that speaks for itself. I was having a conversation with Hashim Amla a couple of days ago, and he spoke about Dale Steyn, saying Kagiso is at the same level as Steyn, arguably even a bit better. That conversation speaks volumes for a guy like KG,” Bavuma added.“Statistically, it’s his character that stands out — competitiveness and the hunger to remain the world’s No.1 bowler,” he complimented.Bavuma termed South Africa’s WTC final triumph a “massive step forward” for the country. “We went into the WTC cycle aiming for the final. Once there, we wanted to see how far we could go. South Africa has had a lot of heartache in finals and ICC events. Many players are driven by that pain and want to achieve something different for the country. For a country like ours, which isn’t a financial powerhouse like India, England, or Australia, winning the WTC final speaks volumes for international cricket,” he said.

The victory was also a personal milestone for Bavuma, who had faced criticism about his place in the side. Bavuma, who has scored 3,708 runs in 64 Tests @38.22, contributed 36 and 66 in the WTC final.“It was massive for me as a leader. Coming in as captain a couple of years ago, there was doubt around my leadership. I was still learning my game and understanding myself as a person. There was friction within Cricket South Africa at the time, so as a young captain, it was tricky. From a team perspective, we wanted to be among the world’s best again, following legends like AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla. The journey hasn’t been easy, but the WTC win put everything into perspective,” Bavuma said.