ICC T20 World Cup 2022: AB de Villiers Delivers Strong Verdict On Temba Bavuma's Leadership And Form For South Africa

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma has been under the pump for his poor show in the India T20I Series. The right-handed batter has failed to get off the mark and has been consuming balls too. A lot of experts have questioned Bavuma’s place in the side as he is not a batter who can strike at 130.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) would be worried as seeing the skipper struggle is not a good sign for the team. We all witnessed in the 2nd T20I match the carnage of David Miller and if he had got support from other guys the result could have been different.

AB de Villiers on Temba Bavuma

Former South Africa Captain AB de Villiers made an interesting statement through Twitter spaces on Temba Bavuma. “I think it’s a question on everyone’s lips – is Temba (Bavuma0 the right guy? All of a sudden you start seeing the name in the newspapers, you start hearing friends talking about your form and you start doubting whether you belong there or not.”

“But if you guys think about it, to have come to where he is now, you must have a lot of desire and a lot of determination and there must be something very special inside of you. So for Temba to be the captain of South Africa already is an incredible achievement.”

“There are some fairy-tales that I have seen on the Cricket field before, especially from people being out of form going into big tournaments. So I do believe Temba is the right man to do the job. I believe his form will come at the right time, at the right place, which there’s no better than the T20 World Cup.”

Is Temba Bavuma the right man to open for and captain South Africa at the T20 World Cup?

AB de Villiers ?️ pic.twitter.com/3Ep331mZKc

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 4, 2022

Pressure on Top Order of South Africa

The top-order batters are not performing according to their credentials. Rilee Rossouw who recently returned to the South African setup(due to Kolpak Treaty) is facing a tough time in the middle. He is one of the senior members of the team; batting at the no.3 position means that he needs to hold the innings. The batter has been scoring runs in the leagues all around the world as there’s no doubt about his ability, but he must find a way to tackle swinging conditions.

The management would be concerned about the shot selection of the batters; because it looks like they are not watching the ball closely. Head Coach Mark Boucher would be hoping that the team avoids the embarrassment in the 3rd T20I match as getting white-wash before the T20 World Cup won’t be good.

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Not Much To Worry About, Australians Won Title Despite Struggles Before Mega Event – David Miller