Bavuma will be 100% fit for the World Cup, says chief selector Mpitsang

06 September 2022 - 16:22 By SITHEMBISO DINDI
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SA captain Temba Bavuma will lead SA at the World Cup.
SA captain Temba Bavuma will lead SA at the World Cup.
Image: Pankaj Nangia/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Proteas white-ball captain Temba Bavuma will be match fit when SA begin their T20 World Cup campaign, Cricket SA (CSA) convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang says.

Despite missing the present multi-format tour against England due to an elbow injury, Bavuma was named in the Proteas T20 World Cup squad on Tuesday. The tournament starts in Australia on October 16, with the final in Melbourne on November 13.

Mpitsang said Bavuma made the cut to the 15-man squad because he has recovered well and has been playing for his franchise, the Lions.

“He has been in Namibia over the last week. Actually, he is good to go,” Mpitsang said.

Despite not being able to consider injured Rassie van der Dussen for selection, Mpitsang said the selectors are confident the team they have chosen can do the job in Australia.

He said having many in-form players in recent limited-overs matches provided a welcome “headache”. The Proteas shared the ODI series 1-1 with England and won the T20Is 2-1.

“I think we are excited with how the team performed in England. It was a headache and I know everybody kept on saying that we’ve got a lot of headaches,” Mpitsang said.

“It was a good headache to have when everybody performed the way they did, especially against a quality side like England.

“We always knew a lot of our bases were covered. Rassie has a lot of experience — we saw what he did in the last ICC events, but we are quite confident [in the cover SA have] with a guy like [Tristan] Stubbs and the brand he has played over the last few months for the national team.”

SA will be hoping to bring the World Cup trophy home for the first time.

In the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year, the Proteas failed to make it out of the pool stages. England and tournament winners Australia progressed from Group 1, where SA finished third.

For this year’s event the Proteas will be in the Super 12 stage’s Group 2 with India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and the winners of the first round's Group B and runners-up from Group A.


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