Proteas white-ball captain Temba Bavuma says he is ready with his troops to put all the off-field controversies behind them and display a greater sense of “inclusiveness” as they take on the world in the critical next 18 months for the national side.
South Africa managed to stand their own in a difficult Super 12 group at the T20 World Cup last winter with four wins from five games before putting a strong guard on the final frontier when India came visiting, with Test and ODI series victories.
Even though those wins helped revitalise the mood in the camp and reflected a healthy cricketing system, the results on the field were overshadowed by the gloomy nature of all the controversies that have surrounded the team over the past two and a half years.
SAa have had to deal with accusations of a shallow response to the globally acknowledged ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign against racism, with their head coach Mark Boucher falling under scrutiny for his indifferential conduct in the past as a player and in the capacity of the head of the support staff as well.
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With those charges now out of the way, allowing Boucher to continue his term that finishes at the 2023 World Cup in India, and the Proteas adopting a consistent stance in support of BLM, Bavuma expects the performances on the field to take centre stage.
“It’s inclusive. When I say inclusive, I look at the leadership squad.
You’ve got guys from different backgrounds, who come in with their different perspectives and guys are able to sit down on a table and share their ideas and whatever decision we make, it’s an encompassing one.
It’s one that accommodates everyone. It’s not one that is biased to one specific group.”
Bavuma told ESPNcricinfo in response to a query when asked about the team culture that the Proteas have.
When Bavuma says of a culture which is not “biased” to “one specific group”, he would include even the often marginalised black community in South Africa and the national representatives coming out of it.
The skipper said the idea is to stand equal within the team, which is why until a CSA directive compelled everyone in the side to take the knee for BLM, the Proteas had different players gesturing the support to the movement in their own way.
Back then, Bavuma said, lack of proper conversations with every player meant they took to the idea on their ways rather than finding a collective means to put forward their stance against racism.
That has changed now, with even a high-profile player in Quinton de Kock falling in line to take the knee after creating a massive furore upon his decision to skip a T20 World Cup match on the day CSA enforced its directive for BLM.
“For the team, the biggest thing for me was the conversations we had. “It was more about putting aside your perspective and being able to have empathy for the other guy; listening to what the other guy says.
You don’t necessarily have to agree with what he says, but it’s just understanding where he comes from and having that empathy.”
Bavuma was speaking before his team’s departure for the five-match T20I series in India, starting June 9, for which the Proteas have picked a full-strength side having earmarked the series as an important part of their T20 World Cup 2022 preparations.
The team will then fly to the UK for an all-format series against England before the World Cup in Australia as well as a Test series Down Under against the hosts. Bavuma’s limited-overs side will then kick-off the build-up to the 50-over World Cup next November in India.
