Aiden Markram blocked Temba Bavuma from retiring hurt in WTC Final despite injury

A massive revelation has been made by the batting coach of the South Africa National Cricket Team, Ashwell Prince, regarding skipper Temba Bavuma and star batter Aiden Markram.

Ashwell Prince has revealed that Aiden Markram urged Temba Bavuma not to retire hurt after suffering a hamstring injury and wanted him to continue batting in the ICC World Test Championship Final.

Temba Bavuma fights pain in WTC Final

Bavuma has been a brilliant captain for the South Africa National Cricket Team in Test cricket, and he has scored runs on a consistent basis for his team.

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In the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, Bavuma emerged as the top performer with the bat for the Proteas and took the team to the final of the competition.

He continued his good form with the bat in the summit clash and played a crucial knock of 36 runs off 84 balls in South Africa's first innings, where the team got all out for 138 in 57.1 overs.

However, the best of Bavuma was seen in the last innings of the match as he slammed a fighting fifty. He picked up a hamstring injury when he was batting on 6 before tea, and he received a lengthy treatment on the field.

Temba Bavuma was struggling to run, but he continued batting and finished the day with an unbeaten 65 runs under his belt off 121 balls, and South Africa were just 69 runs away from winning the WTC Final.

Aiden was adamant that the partnership is the key - Ashwell Prince

Speaking to the media after the end of Day 3, Ashwell Prince revealed that they contemplated the need for Temba Bavuma to retire hurt, but Aiden Markram and the skipper himself wanted the partnership to continue.

"We had to make a big call whether he continues to bat and how it will affect his strokeplay, how that might affect Aiden's rhythm," Ashwell Prince said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"If twos are being turned into one [or] they can't run the twos or the threes. Both of them were adamant that Temba was going to continue. He wanted to continue

"Aiden was adamant that the partnership is the key. Obviously, had [Tristan] Stubbs gone in, we would have still had Temba's wicket intact, but you start a new partnership. They were feeling pretty good and they wanted to continue. Aiden was well aware that he'll have to curb his intensity just in terms of running between the wickets to allow Temba to ease his way through it."

He's had to fight throughout his career - Ashwell Prince

Prince further stated that Temba Bavuma is a highly respected figure in the South African dressing room, and he has fought throughout his career. He elaborated:

"Temba is tough. Aiden has great respect for Temba. In fact, I think this team's greatest strength is the unity that they have in this camp… they are well aware that South Africa have had much greater individual players, but they've got something special going on in that dressing room, and that sort of helps them to drag each other along."

"He's had to fight throughout his career, and this could be a defining moment for his career. I believe it's the biggest stage of in terms of Test cricket. Maybe I should answer the question after the game."

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