Temba Bavuma certainly improved his game in white-ball cricket and his growth has been visible, writes Naeemah Benjamin.
The Lions captain is slowly silencing those who labelled him as a “Test player”, showing that there is a role for his approach in the white-ball format.
Could he be among the Proteas’ best ever limited-overs batters?
After not even being a candidate in the recent Cricket World Cup, Bavuma would’ve felt let down, however that has led to him working even harder on his game. He is developing into a significant player for the Proteas in the limited-overs format.
In T20’s he could certainly partner up with Quinton de Kock. We know how crucial their partnerships are in the Test arena. They are comfortable and at ease with one another, and also they compliment each other well, they both understand their individual roles.
Bavuma understands his role and plays it almost perfectly. Yes, sure he’s not a Chris Gayle type of player as he said recently.
“I got my debut in T20Is at a time when I didn’t really expect it. But saying that, the selectors and coaches showed a lot of faith in me and it was up to me to repay that faith,” said Bavuma after the 3rd T20I against India.
“I should just have the mindset of looking to score. I don’t have the power of a Gayle or Pollard so it’s about picking the gaps. I surprised myself!
“To ensure we go with a victory is a good thing, we’ll take confidence from it. We’ve got a Test series coming up and we know that will be tough.”
Not everyone in the side needs to be a big hitter. Someone who can consolidate and anchor an innings is just as vital for the balance of a lineup.
Proteas stalwart Hashim Amla proved this, and Bavuma has the attributes to fill that role in the shorter formats.
He was a core part of the Highveld Lions winning the CSA T20 Challenge in the 2018/2019 season. He led the team brilliantly and especially in the final when he scored a brilliant century.
In the recently concluded T20I series against India, we’ve seen how well Bavuma plays the role of the anchor, especially in the 2nd T20I.
He came to the crease quite early and complimented his skipper De Kock, knocking singles, and rotating the strike, leaving the big-hitting to his partner on the other side.
Noticeably one of the key attributes of Bavuma is how well he plays spin. The Proteas have always suffered in this regard and he could certainly be an asset in the middle order in One Day Internationals too.
Hopefully, selectors will give him an opportunity to prove his worth in the ODI series against England.
For now, he will have to put that thought out of his mind and focus on the Test Championship clash against India which is fast approaching.
Photo: Deepak Malik / Sportzpics for BCCI
