As we countdown the weeks till the T20 World Cup kicks off, it’s time to get behind Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma.

With all the Proteas’ preparation in the past six weeks, a clearer picture of what the starting XI will look like has emerged. And Bavuma will lead that charge.

Forget the 1-1 ODI series result against Ireland. As mentioned before, the Proteas are a powerhouse in the white-ball format and losing to the Irish was not acceptable.

But you learn from defeats and there is no doubt that Bavuma, from a leadership perspective, has grown in leaps and bounds.

Beating the Windies – the T20 world champions – in their own backyard, was a momentous achievement that warrants celebration. And the way Ireland was carved up in the T20 format shows how much class is in the side.

Let’s not forget that the Irish gave England a few headaches and the unfamiliar conditions will stand Bavuma and his men in good stead at the T20 World Cup.

Bavuma runs around the field like a man possessed. You can see he is learning on the job and taking in as much as he possibly can, and it’s fitting that he made a valuable contribution with the bat in the third T20.

That contribution was the catalyst for South Africa getting close to 200. This is an important threshold, given that our strong bowling lineup has successfully defended low-scoring totals.

If the Proteas batting lineup delivers, we can look forward to some happier times in what has been a gloomy 18 months for all of us. It’s important to note that the venues for the T20 World Cup are the same ones that saw South Africa’s IPL contingent shine in both the batting and bowling departments last year.

Within this context, Bavuma must show his new leadership skill set and use his top players’ experience, of playing in those conditions, to his benefit.

Great captains have the ability to manage their match-winners on the field and adapt to situational contexts from an over-to-over basis. They also have the tactical nous to tap into their leaders when the chips are down.

The way the Proteas T20 class of 2021 is beginning to take shape is encouraging. They are timing their run to perfection and how they have gone about securing victories in testing conditions shows a high level of mental strength.

Clearly, the tours to the Caribbean and Ireland have had a positive effect on team dynamics. Bavuma has taken his leadership role seriously. Fronting the media and doing all the admin that goes with it. Oh, and Quinton de Kock is a brand new player.

We need to back Temba Bavuma because a special team spirit is beginning to grow in this South African T20 side, which we should celebrate.