Following another valiant effort from the Proteas Men’s team, Cricket South Africa (CSA) extended their congratulations to the team on reaching yet another ICC knock-out phase at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan/UAE.
Proteas coach Rob Walter and captain Temba Bavuma’s side went down in their semifinal match against New Zealand on Wednesday, however, it was another commendable performance from the team to reach the last four.
South Africa were the form team throughout the group phase and were unbeaten going into the semifinal with wins over Afghanistan and England while their clash with Australia was rained out.
Reflecting on the efforts of the Proteas men’s team in recent years, CSA Chief Executive Officer, Pholetsi Moseki, was full of praise for the team and their consistency;
“Well done to captain Temba Bavuma, head coach Rob Walter and the entire squad as well as all the support staff on their efforts at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
“Qualifying for the semifinals in such a demanding tournament is a testament to the hard work put in both on and off the field.
“This past achievement marks a third consecutive semifinal appearance for the men’s team at ICC events to go with their T20 World Cup final appearance in 2024.
“The team continues to show signs of encouragement and improvement ahead of an important 20 months in the lead up to the ICC Men’s 50 Over World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2027.”
David Miller maintained his composure on the big occasion, scoring a well-deserved century off 67 balls in the semifinal.
The Proteas men’s team continues to perform at a level that sees them consistently in the top four teams in the world.
Despite the disappointment of being knocked out of the competition at this late stage, there is a lot to look forward to from a national men’s team perspective.
“Our men’s team will now look to begin their preparation for the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s against Australia in June.
“This will provide the team with another chance to claim an ICC title and potentially reclaim the top spot in the ICC test rankings for the first time since 2016.”
The ICC World Test Championship final will take place from 7-11 June at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.