“We have the opportunity now to build to 2023 to really define our style of play and go about our business,” said Proteas limited-overs skipper, Temba Bavuma, in his arrival press conference, ahead of the ODI and T20 series against Pakistan. 

With a 22-person squad selected for this series, Bavuma shared, “The mood in the camp has been rather optimistic. It’s always nice to get new faces, guys being rewarded for their performances and the talent they’ve shown domestically.”

Given that teams across the world now have one eye on the T20 World Cup later this year in India, Bavuma confirmed, “The guys who are here can take comfort that 90 percent of the World Cup squad will be coming from this group.” 

In his first series as Proteas captain, Bavuma’s priority, in addition to playing a brand of cricket that suits his team, is that his players are able to execute their game plans in all conditions.

“For me, it is to really find that style of play, and most importantly execute that style of play under any conditions and any occasion.” To do that, Bavuma says, “Mentally, we need to improve a lot more, in terms of getting stronger.” 

The recent ODI competition in Potchefstroom and T20 Cup in Durban were played on surfaces that were challenging for batsmen. While this series against Pakistan will be played in the Highveld, and likely to be conducive to high scores, Bavuma insists, “We want to be aggressive and dominating in all types of conditions.

Things may suit us now that we’re playing in the Highveld. In the longer run, we want to test ourselves more in unfavourable conditions and really see that we can execute our brand of cricket at all times.”

The team management is currently deliberating on the composition of the batting order, but Bavuma revealed, “I’ll find myself in the top three, no further down than four.” 

Pakistan’s tour of South Africa clashes with the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, which means that a number of IPL-contracted South African players will depart for India after the first two ODIs. Bavuma is unfazed by the potential for disruption this might cause. “We believe we’ve got enough replacements to fill those boots,” said Bavuma. 

Seeing the recent success of the Proteas women’s team in India, Bavuma said his team was inspired by their incredible achievements. “We know how tough it is to play in that part of the world. It’s important for us to match the efforts of the women.”