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Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has unveiled his ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Team of the Tournament ahead of the official announcement, notably excluding any Pakistani players from his XI.
Known for his sharp cricketing insights, Latif shared his team on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), selecting South Africa’s trophy-winning skipper Temba Bavuma as captain and South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne behind the stumps.
For the opening slots, Latif has picked India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Australia’s Usman Khawaja. Jaiswal was India’s top scorer in the WTC cycle, amassing 1,798 runs at an average of 52.88, including four centuries. Khawaja was Australia’s leading run-getter with 1,428 runs at an average of 39.66, including two centuries.
England’s Joe Root, the leading run scorer of the WTC 2023-25 cycle, slots in at number three. Root piled up an impressive 1,968 runs at an average of 54.66 with seven centuries to his name.
In the middle order, Latif included Temba Bavuma—who led South Africa to their first ICC trophy in 26 years—alongside England’s Harry Brook and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis. Brook struck 1,463 runs in the cycle, while Mendis contributed 1,123 runs at an outstanding average of 62.38.
The bowling lineup features a mix of experience and impact. Australia’s veteran spinner Nathan Lyon earns his spot with 66 wickets in the cycle. New Zealand’s Matt Henry, who was their leading wicket-taker with 48 scalps, also makes the cut. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, who took nine crucial wickets in the final, and India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah round out the attack.
Bumrah was instrumental in India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign, claiming 32 wickets and earning Player of the Series honors. He finished second in the overall WTC wicket tally with 77, just behind Australian captain Pat Cummins, who topped the chart with 80 wickets in 18 matches.
South Africa’s WTC triumph came on Saturday, when they chased down a 282-run target against Australia in the final at Lord’s. Captain Temba Bavuma and opener Aiden Markram led the charge with composed innings, supported by strong contributions from the bowlers. It marked the Proteas’ first ICC tournament victory since the 1998 Champions Trophy, then known as the Wills International Cup.
Australia, who had secured a 74-run first-innings lead, crumbled in their second innings. Despite some resistance from Mitchell Starc and Alex Carey, they couldn’t stop South Africa from scripting history.
Rashid Latif’s WTC 2023–25 Team of the Tournament:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Temba Bavuma (captain), Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Nathan Lyon, Matt Henry, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah.
