Making no haste, Temba Bavuma took his time to fit into the shoes of captaincy of the South Africa cricket team
Keen on winning the Betway ODI series against India, Temba Bavuma eyes the top with South Africa. Within a flash of time, the new limited overs captain came to limelight. None anticipated Quinton de Kock to hang up his gloves all of a sudden. Bavuma was named the captain in March, 2021. He created history by becoming the first ever black African permanent skipper of the South African national side. Given the nature of changes was unforeseen, the Proteas were of no interest to the betters for the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Bavuma’s experience and rapport with team were the major factors behind decorating him with the captain’s arm band. Initially anxious as to how proceed with the team ahead, he believes the journey is still young with the ODI team. The presence of players like JP Duminy in the management camp boosted his confidence to another level. An honest player, Bavuma expressed that he comprehends the paramountcy of improving with time and not losing focus.
Temba Bavuma Making Massive Strides As Captain Of South Africa
There is no refutation that the Proteas progressed under his umbrella, especially in the T20I format. A 3-2 win against West Indies followed by a clean sweep of 3-0 against both Sri Lanka and Ireland, succored the team to be ambitious for the T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, their four wins out of five matches were not enough to make them sail through the Super 12 stage.
After a dry spell of four single-figure runs in five innings against West Indies and Ireland, he found his brace in the middle-order during the World Cup. He scored 91 runs at an average of over 30.
Bavuma struggled at first to balance between the two responsibilities of batting and captaincy. Bavuma, the batsman was not coinciding with Bavuma, the captain. He stated, “It can be a challenge to combine the two, but you have to make sure that you’re mentally fresh. The captaincy can clutter your mind. It can be easy to play the game in your head and you don’t want that.”
The passage of time contributed towards his experiential learnings. Having that clarity in mind along with being your confident self is necessary for any captain.
Willingness to learn and work on his versatility are the qualities that make Bavuma stand apart. The effort he puts in to be his upgraded version each time has been conspicuous throughout. Idolizing Hashim Amla, he expressed, “I take a lot of inspiration from him. When he first came into the system, he wasn’t considered a classic T20 player but he was able to adapt his game.” With all his inclination towards building a better team, the captain is now aiming at the ODI series against India.
Bavuma is not oblivious to the fact that team India can be a good competition. The Proteas seem all set to add more achievements under their belt after the Test Series win. Furthermore, the team is seeing this as an opportunity to compete with one of the bests out there. High in spirits and full of hopes, Bavuma is trying to pave way for the Proteas to establish their dominance over the world once again. Looking strong as of now, the time shall disclose how far these passionate young individuals would go!
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