The bad patch of the South African cricket team seems to be ending as they have got a good leader who can do wonders for them. Temba Bavuma can give joy to the nation that many of the leaders in Proteas history couldn’t deliver. When Quinton de Kock left captaincy in white-ball cricket, it was a huge opportunity for young Bavuma and he’s done his job exceptionally well.
Eventually, he was shocked when CSA appointed him skipper and he agreed on this in his latest interview with betway. “It wasn’t something that I was expecting. There was obviously anxiety and fear as to how I was going to take the team forward to new heights. The journey is still young with the white-ball teams, I must say. But I’ve enjoyed it so far,” Bavuma quoted as saying by Betway.
Temba Bavuma thinks that his biggest point is he doesn’t care much what others are talking about him. He only cares what he’s feeling about his batting and team preparation. He said that extra responsibility couldn’t affect your batting as far as you are mentally strong to do your job.
“The better you know yourself, the less likely you are to be affected by what other people say about you. I pride myself in being honest, understanding where I can improve but also not losing focus from taking the team forward. 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,” he added.
Bavuma is the first-ever black captain of the South African team and when he was appointed he was young. The good thing about this team for him is he’s played school-level cricket with most players in the squad including seniors. Thus it helps him to perform well as a leader by communicating with individuals. Rabada, Quinton De Kock and Tabraiz Shamsi are some of the core players on the roster with whom he spends time to get more about the game.
“I was fortunate in that most of the guys, especially the senior guys, I’ve played with from school level. We understand each other and, most importantly, the respect is there. I spend a lot of time with KG [Rabada] on and off the field. Shamo [Tabraiz Shamsi] and Quinton [de Kock], too. These are important players to have good relationships with as a captain,” Bavuma quoted.
JP Duminy was added to the t20 team management and this helped Temba Bavuma to execute his plans and make strategies against the opposition. Duminy has got vast experience and mental skills to guide South Africa in a proper manner with the backend.
“We’re fortunate that we have several legends of the past who I can call upon, too. JP Duminy was in the T20 management camp and he added to the brains of the team. He has a great brain and I bounced ideas off him. It’s so important to be clear with your plans and clear with what you want to do. Then anything else can just be discarded. My skillset is not the same as a guy who comes in at the back of the innings, like David Miller. David generally has to be able to hit sixes from ball one. That isn’t my role in the side – I know what my strengths are.”
Playing according to his own strengths helps players to perform and Bavuma allows his teammates to do so. He’s eager to make his team-best in the world once again.
“We want to continue the journey towards being considered among the world’s best again,” he added.
The biggest challenge for Bavuma would be the upcoming T20 world cup 2022 in Australia as his side had a good run in 2021 campaign when team won 4 out of 5 matches in the group stage and should be in the semifinals but couldn’t make it. So he’ll be looking forward to repeating the good show in Australian conditions.
