South Africa's recent victory in the World Test Championship (WTC) has been a monumental moment for the nation, ending a 27-year drought in men's global cricket titles. The Proteas, led by Temba Bavuma, clinched the title with a five-wicket win over Australia at Lord's. However, despite the jubilation, cricket legend AB de Villiers has pointed out significant areas for improvement in the WTC format.

De Villiers, a former South African captain, expressed his joy over the victory but emphasized the need for a more balanced and fair system. "We've had some very disappointing and sad ends to a lot of campaigns, especially the World Cups, but now it's time to start believing that we can do this more often," he stated on the BBC World Service's Stumped podcast.

The current WTC cycle has shown discrepancies in the number of matches each team plays, with South Africa playing the joint-fewest matches (12) compared to England's 22. This inconsistency, De Villiers argues, undermines the championship's integrity. "I saw the schedule that came out for the next cycle of the WTC and there is an improvement, but I still feel there's work that needs to be done," he added.

De Villiers suggested extending the WTC cycle to four years, similar to the one-day international format, to allow for a more comprehensive and fair competition. "Maybe a four-year cycle would be nice. We've done that in the past with one-day internationals, so why not in Test cricket?" he proposed.

The victory has reignited the passion for cricket in South Africa, with fans eagerly awaiting the next Test series. However, the Proteas' next home Tests are not scheduled until October 2026, when they will face Australia in a three-match series. "It's a long time until our next Test match, but there's no doubt it won't be forgotten," De Villiers assured.

For more insights from AB de Villiers, listen to the full interview on the Stumped podcast, available on BBC Sounds.