Cricket South Africa has appointed senior batsman Temba Bavuma as their captain in the limited-overs cricket on March 4 (Thursday). Reacting to the appointment, Bavuma said he accepted the responsibility of being appointed as South Africa’s first black African cricket captain. On the other hand, Dean Elgar was appointed as the skipper of the Test side.
Meanwhile, both have led before. Bavuma, the new white-ball captain, has piloted the Lions regularly since October 2018 between international engagements and is fresh from taking the franchise to the domestic T20 title on Sunday. He was also the architect of their 2018/19 first-class and T20 double triumph, scoring a century in the final of the latter.
Want to create a legacy as South Africa captain – Temba Bavuma
Temba Bavuma replaces Quinton de Kock as the skipper, who was appointed white-ball captain before the home ODI series against England in February last year. However, he has failed to live up to the expectations and sought a break from the leadership duties on grounds of mental health after the Pakistan tour.
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Bavuma acknowledged the deeply rooted significance of his appointment as the skipper and to be the first black skipper of the South Africa Cricket Team. Accepting the social impact his appointment will have on the country’s cricket, Temba Bavuma said he was determined to do justice to the job as both captain and player.
“I’d be lying if said it didn’t mean anything to me,” Bavuma said. “I understand the deeply rooted significance of it all. I can completely understand why people in our country would celebrate it for what it is. I’d be lying if I said it does not make me think of where everything started for me, and how I’ve been able to go through a journey and get to this point. Combined with being known as the first black African captain, I’d also like to be known as someone who led the team very well and created a legacy for himself,” he added.
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Temba Bavuma Bavuma will begin his job against Pakistan at home next month. On the other hand, Dean Elgar will have to wait for some time as the Proteas have no Test matches scheduled in the near future.
