Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter has explained the decision to rest Temba Bavuma for the T20I and ODI series against India this month.

While Proteas T20I captain Aiden Markram will captain the ODI side in Bavuma’s absence, Walter insisted “there’s no change” and that the latter is still “the regular skipper of the ODI team”.

Bavuma, who had a poor World Cup with the bat in India, will instead prepare for the two-Test series against India by playing for the Central Gauteng Lions in the 4-Day Domestic Series from 14-17 December.

“Temba’s been phenomenal throughout the year, but there’s a mental toll in terms of the pressures of a World Cup,” said Walter. “The scrutiny on a captain is even more pronounced.

“For him to step away for a while and prioritise being ready for the Test series is important to us. In fact, we want all of our key players to be in the best shape for that [Test] series and that drove our decision-making.

“It may seem a progressive decision, but it was actually an easy call to make. All three of us [Walter, Bavuma and Test coach Shukri Conrad] were on the same page. We didn’t deliberate long – it was the right thing to do for Temba and his cricket.”

Conrad said: “It speaks volumes of Rob and I’s relationship, how we prioritise what’s best for South African cricket and Proteas in particular. It wasn’t a long conversation, the Test squad got priority.

“I’m looking forward to a refreshed and adequately prepared side.”

Proteas squads for India series

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