Johannesburg – Temba Bavuma’s six ball innings, in which his only runs were off a thick outside edge that flew past backward point, was not a knock of a confident player.
Bavuma's lack of confidence is perfectly understandable. He’s not played much cricket in the past four months and even before that his place in the Proteas’ T20 team was being scrutinised. The Proteas skipper’s overall international stats – an average of 22.76 and a strike rate of 115.41 – aren’t bad, although they’re hardly the kind of numbers to strike fear into the opposition.
However, in nine matches this year those numbers fall away terribly – his average is 9.71, his strike rate 79.06 and of the 68 runs he’s scored this year, half came in one innings against India. Thursday’s effort was in keeping with a player who, for all his determination and technical ability, just doesn’t have form right now and whose confidence as a result is lacking.
As captain, Bavuma, like his predecessors, will always be given extra leeway; however, in the current case, South Africa is at a World Cup tournament with a squad and especially a bowling unit that is capable of winning the whole thing. In addition, it’s not as if the selectors have to search for someone who is in form – that player is right there.
Had this poor trot for Bavuma happened two years ago, perhaps there wouldn’t be a need for the selectors to make a decision about him, but it’s not the case. In Reeza Hendricks, Victor Mpitsang and his panel know they have a player who is producing his best performances in a Proteas jersey and fulfilling the potential that he has shown for many years domestically, both with Free State and in recent seasons Gauteng.
Hendricks took advantage of the opportunity that came his way when Bavuma missed the tour to England, perhaps playing freely because he knew he only had the spot temporarily, but then he did the job so well and won player of the series against England, that it has made omitting him impossible. He’s scored 323 runs, done so at an average of 46.41 and with a strike rate of 139.82 in seven innings this year.
Sunday’s clash with India, which was always going to be crucial, has had its importance elevated by Zimbabwe’s stunning upset of Pakistan on Thursday afternoon. South Africa can take control of the group with a win against Rohit Sharma’s high flying side.
It simply isn’t good enough any longer that the only things keeping Bavuma in the Proteas starting XI are that he is captain and that the team isn’t losing.
The T20 World Cup doesn’t offer much room for manoeuvre – just ask West Indies and, after Friday’s rain out in Melbourne, England and Australia – with just five matches per team before the playoffs in the Super 12 section of the competition. Mpitsang and the national selectors had clearly hoped – and understandably so – that Bavuma would find some form and confidence in South Africa’s opening two matches of the tournament, and while the Zimbabwe match was curtailed, what they and the world saw against Bangladesh on Thursday must have given Mpitsang and Co pause for thought.
As well as Rilee Rossouw and Quinton de Kock performed against Bangladesh, the Indian attack, led by Bhuvaneshar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh, will present a step up in quality. Bavuma has had a lot of trouble against them this year and Sunday offers the ideal opportunity to the selectors to make the decision, that Mpitsang has admitted he didn’t know if he could.
Mpitsang has shown how he has learned from last year in the manner in which the squad for this year’s tournament was put together, most notably using players in the right places and rewarding form. That latter attribute simply cannot be wasted, and not when there is such glorious opportunity at stake of ending a trophy drought.
@shockerhess