Temba Bavuma says he has had to adapt his batting to meet the challenge of T20 cricket.
The Proteas white-ball captain has recovered from the elbow injury that ruled him out of the England tour and is looking forward to the T20 World Cup in Australia.
“I’m quite happy with where I am from a recovery point of view,” he said. “It has been a frustrating time, but I am where I am now. I am looking forward to getting out and being back.
“My T20 game has been forced to evolve,” he admitted. “The modern game of cricket is moving at a rapid rate and T20 cricket has influenced other formats. Personally, like a lot of players, I have had to adjust my game to keep up with the times.
“It has been exciting, always having a challenge and adapting your game to meet that challenge.”
Bavuma says South Africa’s new T20 franchise tournament, SA20, “will be another opportunity to challenge myself and to add more to my game which will make me more effective”.
The SA20 has attracted big-ticket names like coaches Stephen Fleming and Lance Klusener, and players Jos Buttler, Maheesh Theekshana, Faf du Plessis and Liam Livingstone to its roster, with more coaches and players to be unveiled at the auction on 19 September.
“I’m excited for the upcoming SA20,” Bavuma said. “It is going to be a massive opportunity for our local players to rub shoulders with the best T20 players around the world and to share knowledge with those players. The knock-on effects could also mean opportunities for players to be involved in IPL-owned teams and seeing more of our young talent within those IPL leagues.
“For the young players, the SA20 will become a platform for them to develop their skills. We can see what the IPL has done for Indian cricket and their young guys, they come in and play with confidence and no fear. We expect to see that in five to 10 years’ time in our local game. It’s an opportunity to make a name for ourselves in T20 cricket and show people what we can do.”
South Africa’s players will be up for a life-changing opportunity at the auction at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, as the six franchises bring out their $2-million purses to finalise their squads.
“The auction will be massive,” Bavuma said. “As players, we will get to know where we will be playing our cricket. I live in Joburg so it would be nice to play here at home. Only kidding! I’m not ruling out any of the teams, I will play for any team. A young player could be bought for a big price so that could be life-changing too.”
