Proteas limited overs captain Temba Bavuma says his team are rearing to get their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign underway against a fierce Sri Lankan side at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in India on Saturday morning.
Bavuma will lead South Africa for the first time at a 50-Over World Cup, having led the T20 side in last year’s showpiece hosted in Australia.
In a tournament of firsts, the global spectacle in India will also be Bavuma’s first ODI World Cup, one he will look to make an impression on, and lead South Africa to their first ever World Cup triumph.
The 33-year-old also comes into the tournament on the back of some impressive performances with the bat in recent matches.
In South Africa’s final ODI series against Australia before departing for India, the skipper scored a century in the first match, reaching 114 runs off 142 balls at a strike rate of (80.28).
South Africa went on to lose that clash by three wickets, but Bavuma returned in the third ODI match, registering a half-century which contributed to his side’s 111 run win.
Bavuma’s record in ODI cricket is a commendable feat. The skipper has recorded five hundreds and four fifties in his 29 innings.
Those stats will however mean little going into a World Cup all square with the other teams. The advantage for Bavumathough is that he has players in his team that have been at a 50-Over World Cup.
In 2019, the likes of Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, and David Miller just to name a few were part of that star-studded that failed to make it to the semi-finals.
This time around, however, the Proteas will be more optimistic, carrying the underdogs tag while going on about their business slowly.
“Yeah, I think the boys are, well we are quite excited for the challenge for the next coming weeks,” said Bavuma.
“The guys obviously enjoy coming to India and experiencing everything about the cricket, as well as the culture. I think as a team, there’s a quiet confidence about the guys who’ve been playing some good cricket. “
“We’ve kind of enjoyed going out and trying to express ourselves. So, I guess there will be an opportunity for us to do that over the coming weeks and that’s exactly what we’ll be looking forward to.”
A bulk of Bavuma’s exuberant teammates have ploughed their trade in India for the inaugural Indian Premier League.
De Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Van der Dussen, and Tabraiz Shamsi will all bring a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the conditions on the different grounds.
The experience of past World Cups will also come in handy. Head coach, Rob Walter has been consistent with hisselection, and there was really no surprise when he announced his 15-men squad.
However, Bavuma understands that other teams are equally experienced, and being at the top of their game will be what separates them from the rest.
“Yeah, I think that’s something that’s relevant to all the teams (the experience),” Bavuma added.
“A lot of the teams have guys who play in India, who’ve done well in India. So, I wouldn’t really say it’s an advantage for us.”
“I think all really, we can do is the guys who have that experience and knowledge, they can share it amongst the team or use it in terms of, you know, our strategies, our plans. But I wouldn’t really say it’s an advantage unique to us as a team.”
The action between South Africa and Sri Lanka kicks-off at 10:30am on Saturday.
The Proteas squad for the World Cup
Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.
