Temba Bavuma looking forward to Saturday’s Cricket SA awards ceremony
Temba Bavuma is looking forward to Saturday’s Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards ceremony where he stands a chance to win the Standard Bank Twenty20 International Cricketer of the Year gong.
The 30-year-old has been nominated in the category alongside Proteas limited-overs captain Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Lungi Ngidi.
Pigeonholed as a red-ball specialist for a long time‚ Bavuma has managed to break free of those shackles and captured the imagination with his white-ball exploits over the past season.
“I’m really pleased and excited about it all‚” said Bavuma of his nomination.
“I’m not someone that people associate T20 cricket with. So to be nominated in this category after the few performances I had is really satisfying.”
Bavuma made his Twenty20 International debut as recent as September 2019 against India in Mohali and covered himself in glory with his run-a-ball 49.
He followed that up with 27 not out in the next match in Bengaluru and posted impressive scores of 43‚ 31 and another 49 in his next three innings.
He smashed 199 runs in five Twenty20I innings with a leading average of 49.75.
“It was a good season returning in the white-ball format.
"I made my debut in that series in India and performed okay too‚ so that was a good memory‚” said Bavuma as he helped the Proteas to a drawn series.
“We were trying to beat one of the strongest teams in that format on their own soil‚ off course with our own ambitions as well of trying to become the number one team as well.
“So that for me was very good‚ drawing that series 1-1.”
It will be a first ever virtual awards ceremony as CSA aligns with the rules and regulations of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown but Bavuma said that will not take away the merits of the awards.
“The excitement of not being there will definitely be missed. It’s usually a highlight of the CSA calendar.
“But it won’t take away the merit of the awards and all those recognised certainly do deserve their recognition. I’m looking forward to seeing what CSA has in store for us.”
De Kock leads the nominations list with six across various categories including the big one the men’s Cricketer of the Year and the Players Player of the Year alongside Ngidi and Anrich Nortje.
The Cricket SA Annual Awards nominations are:
Semi-Professional Awards
PITCHVISION PROVINCIAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Richard das Neves (Easterns)
JP Triegaardt (Northern Cape)
Geoffrey Toyana (Northerns)
CSA PROVINCIAL ONE-DAY CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Ruan de Swardt (Northerns)
Jacques Snyman (Northern Cape)
Basheer Walters (EP)
Codi Yusuf (Gauteng)
CSA PROVINCIAL THREE-DAY CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Andrea Agathangelou (Easterns)
Patrick Botha (Free State)
Beyers Swanepoel (Northern Cape)
Domestic Professional Awards
DOMESTIC NEWCOMER OF THE SEASON
Wandile Makwetu (VKB Knights)
Wesley Marshall (Momentum Multiply Titans)
Thando Ntini (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
PITCHVISION COACH OF THE SEASON
Mark Boucher (Proteas)
Wandile Gwavu (Imperial Lions)
Robin Peterson (Warriors)
FOUR-DAY FRANCHISE SERIES CRICKETER OF THE SEASON
George Linde (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Prenelan Subrayen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Reynard van Tonder (VKB Knights)
MOMENTUM ONE-DAY CUP CRICKETER OF THE SEASON
Mbulelo Budaza (VKB Knights)
Zubayr Hamza (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Grant Roelofsen (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbest Dolphins)
International Professional Awards
STANDARD BANK T20 INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Temba Bavuma
Quinton de Kock
Lungi Ngidi
STANDARD BANK ODI CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Quinton de Kock
Heinrich Klaasen
Lungi Ngidi
STANDARD BANK TEST CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Quinton de Kock
Anrich Nortje
Kagiso Rabada
SA MEN’S PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Quinton de Kock
David Miller
RAM DELIVERY OF THE YEAR
Marizanne Kapp
Anrich Nortje
Vernon Philander
KFC STREETWISE AWARD
Mignon du Preez
Lungi Ngidi
Laura Wolvaardt
MOMENTUM PROTEAS T20 INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Nadine de Klerk
Shabnim Ismail
Lizelle Lee
MOMENTUM PROTEAS ODI CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Marizanne Kapp
Ayabonga Khaka
Laura Wolvaardt
MOMENTUM PROTEAS PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Shabnim Ismail
Luara Wolvaardt
Marizanne Kapp
SA FANS CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Sune Luus
Laura Wolvaardt
Ayabonga Khaka
Mignon du Preez
Shabnim Ismail
Marizanne Kapp
Tabraiz Shamsi
David Miller
Lungi Ngidi
Kagiso Rabada
Quinton de Kock
Anrich Nortje
MOMENTUM PROTEAS CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Shabnim Ismail
Lizelle Lee
Laura Wolvaardt
SA MEN’S CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Quinton de Kock
Lungi Ngidi
Anrich Nortje