Proteas T20 World Cup captain Temba Bavuma has spoken for the first time about not being bought at the SA20 auction.
Bavuma twice went unsold for his base price of R850,000. He is the only member of the Proteas 15-man T20 World Cup squad not to be bought by one of the six franchises, with all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo – a travelling reserve – also missing out.
There are no quotas or transformation targets for SA20 franchises.
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“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any feelings of disappointment,” Bavuma said on Thursday before the Proteas left for India.
“Obviously, one expected to play a role in the tournament. But it’s not just me, it’s Andile, too, a man who’s played a lot of white-ball cricket for South Africa.
“From my side, there are feelings of disappointment.
“I almost feel let down in a way. I don’t think it comes down to any entitlement on my side,” added Bavuma, who has been criticised for his low strike rate in T20 cricket.
“I also have to caution myself from delving too deep into it. It’s probably not the right time. As much as I want to perhaps speak about the issue, too, it’s not the right time. Our focus is India and the T20 World Cup.”
