“The biggest thing for us is to adapt on the day,” said Proteas skipper, Temba Bavuma, in his arrival address to the media ahead of the T20 World Cup to be played in the UAE and Oman.
Bavuma indicated that he followed the Indian Premier League to get a sense of the conditions that are to be expected during the T20 World Cup. “I’ve had a chance to watch the games, especially the playoffs,” said Bavuma.
He continued, “Sharjah is known to be high-scoring, the games haven’t played as per expectations.” Given that the pitches are expected to be worn out, the Proteas will be challenged to make the required adjustments.
Bavuma confirmed that he will open the batting along with Quinton de Kock. He also suggested that the Proteas team composition will be similar to the kind played in the previous series, which included three seamers.
Bavuma expects slower bowlers such as Dwaine Pretorius and Wiaan Mulder to make an impact in the tournament.
“We’ll see how many of them we can fit in. In terms of using them, all of them can bowl in the powerplay, middle, and they have proven they can also bowl at the death.”
With 70 percent of fans expected to be in attendance for all games, Bavuma believes it will add to the excitement of the tournament. “Playing white-ball cricket is so different without the fans. There’s a certain energy and intensity. Having that back will be nice,” said Bavuma.
The T20 World Cup will be Bavuma’s first competitive outing after a freak injury he picked up in Sri Lanka. Tomorrow, the 15th will be the first live net session that will help him and the management ascertain his fitness.
“What I’m trying to get out of it is comfort with my hand and what I can do. Make peace with what I can’t do.”
Bavuma is cognizant of the pressure on South African teams that play ICC tournaments but stated emphatically that this team does not bear the burden of that pressure.
“Those pressures will always be there until we bring back silverware,” he concluded.
