Bavuma carrying the hopes of a nation

The winds of change swept through the leadership structure of SA cricket this week and, most will agree, not before time.

It was a significant announcement in the history of SA cricket as Temba Bavuma was named captain of the Proteas limited overs teams.

In becoming the first black African to lead SA, Bavuma will follow in the footsteps of his Springbok counterpart Siya Kolisi.

It has taken some time but Bavuma has joined rugby’s World Cup-winning captain in bucking the trend in traditionally white-led sports.

There will be those who call it a political appointment and others who say he cannot hold his place in the side because of performance or career statistics.

But the truth is in the detail and Bavuma has been one of country’s most consistent batsmen at international level over the past season.

In an abbreviated Test season, he averaged over 50 per innings in 2020/2021.

In ODI cricket last year, he managed 44 runs every time he took to the crease and in T20 internationals it was 29 at an impressive strike rate of 143 runs per 100 deliveries.

Those are hardly the figures of a man who cannot hold his place in any of the three teams.

In fact, they compare among the best in the international cricket and he should be congratulated for his performances.

Some will call him a token captain but nothing can be further from the truth.

Coaches within SA’s domestic structures have always rated his leadership qualities.

He has enjoyed great success as captain of the Lions since being given the position in 2018/19. In that first season he led the side to the four-day and T20 titles.  

And just last week, his Lions team won the Betway T20 Challenge with him leading from the front.

Bavuma will now take charge of the Proteas at the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups as well as the 50-overs version in 2023.

No SA captain has ever won a World Cup in these formats.

Bavuma is keenly aware of the enormity of his task, not only from a cricketing point of view but from a nation-building one as well.

“I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t mean anything to me. I understand the deeply rooted significance of it all,” Bavuma said of his appointment on Thursday evening. “I can completely understand why people in our country would celebrate this.”

The naysayers will be stalking in the shadows waiting to strike at the first opportunity.

But those same doubters targeted Kolisi and we all know how his fairytale panned out.