Outgoing Proteas Coach Mark Boucher Backs Temba Bavuma As Captain Despite Recent Doubts
Published - 22 Sep 2022, 09:01 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:13 AM
Proteas coach Mark Boucher, who will relinquish his responsibilities after the ICC T20 World Cup has unequivocally backed skipper Temba Bavuma to lead the national team at the marquee event in Australia next month.
Bavuma missed the recent T20 International series against England and Ireland where the batting unit was particularly explosive, placing the skipper’s place in the T20I line-up under scrutiny.
Temba Bavuma goes unsold in the auctions for the inaugural edition of the SA20 League
The spotlight on the 32-year-old was further amplified when he was snubbed by all six franchises at the SA20 auction on Monday. Mark Boucher, who will join the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, however, stressed that Bavuma remains the man in charge at the Proteas.
Speaking to the media, the former Proteas wicketkeeper said, “Temba Bavuma is our leader, and I back him 100%,” Boucher said ahead of the team’s departure for their white-ball tour of India. “Yes, there is a lot of talk on social media about all the stuff, about this and that; I don’t really care. He is our leader, and we back him in this team like you can’t believe.”
Mark Boucher assures 100% commitment to national responsibilities
Boucher however, believes his pending departure from the national team will not affect the Proteas’ chances at the T20 World Cup. “It’s going to be very easy for me to keep the focus of the players. I’m 100% committed to the players and to the Proteas going into a World Cup. I’ll remain 100% committed to this team. My decisions from a personal perspective, it’s not going to hamper these guys at all,” said Boucher.
He concluded by saying, “I’ve always said that I’m in this job for the players, and the players alone, and I will continue to give them everything that I have to try get the best outcome for them at the World Cup.”
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