"The coach has added me to the squad" - Temba Bavuma ahead of T20I series against West Indies
South African ODI skipper Temba Bavuma has revealed that he has returned to the T20I squad against the West Indies. The right-handed batter is aiming to regain fitness for the two ODIs against the Netherlands to follow.
The 32-year-old faced the ax from the T20I squad following his poor performances at the T20 World Cup in Australia. He had a forgettable outing with the bat in the tournament, managing only 70 runs in five games at an average of 17.5 and a strike rate of 112.90.
TEAM UPDATE 🚨
Temba Bavuma experienced hamstring discomfort following the second Betway ODI against West Indies and as a precautionary measure, he has been ruled out of today’s match 🏏
Aiden Markram will captain the side 🇿🇦
#SAvWI #BePartOfIt https://t.co/HgYTkhjXuU
Bavuma, who missed the third ODI against the West Indies in Potchefstroom due to a hamstring niggle, said, as quoted by News24:
"I'll be involved in the T20 series as the coach has added me to the squad. I'll be around for the series, but the important part for me is to work even harder on my fitness so that I'm more than ready for the Netherlands games. From my side with the hamstring, the decision was from a precautionary point of view."
However, the Cape Town-born batter has turned his form around remarkably well in 50-over cricket, hitting two centuries in his last four games. Aiden Markram, who captained the side in the third ODI against the West Indies, has been named as South Africa's T20I captain.
"This game was a big moment in that" - Temba Bavuma on Heinrich Klassen's breathtaking knock
Reflecting on Heinrich Klaasen's 61-ball 119* to lead the Proteas to a win on Tuesday, Bavuma said it was the perfect example of walking the talk. He added:
"I've said it in my previous press conferences that it's one thing to talk a big game, but for the guys to go out and do it is something else. That's when guys really believe it and yes, we've had moments in other games where we've exemplified the brand of cricket we want to play. This game was a big moment in that."
💯💯💯
A 5-star performance by Heinrich Klaasen who brings up his second ODI century
#SAvWI #BePartOfIt https://t.co/9NUSqeMkd9
Klaasen's swashbuckling hundred helped the Proteas achieve the 261-run target in just 29.3 overs and level the series.