His early cricketing prowess led to selection for the South African Under-19 cricket team, where he delivered several noteworthy performances, establishing himself as a promising young player in the domestic cricket circuit.

Medical Career and Transition to Cricket

Bacher later enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he studied medicine. Upon completing his degree, he began practicing as a general practitioner. He worked in the medical field for nine years before deciding to leave the profession. Bacher later explained that he became emotionally involved with his patients, which made it difficult for him to cope with the emotional toll of the profession—particularly when faced with terminal cases and patient suffering.

Despite stepping away from practicing medicine, Bacher retained his medical knowledge and chose to focus more seriously on his cricketing career, quickly gaining national attention for his on-field abilities.

Rise in South African Cricket

Bacher's consistent performances at the domestic level earned him a place in the South African national cricket team in 1965. Over the course of his international career, he played in 12 Test matches. One of his most memorable contributions came when he captained the South African team in a historic series victory against Australia—their first ever series win over the Australian side on home soil.

During that series, Bacher scored a remarkable 235 runs in a single innings—one of the highest individual scores by a South African batsman against Australia at the time. This achievement not only stunned the cricketing world, which had widely favored Australia, but also marked South Africa’s emergence as a formidable cricketing nation. For his outstanding leadership and performance, Bacher was named captain of the national team, although he held the position for only one season.