Temba Bavuma Set To Miss Warm-Up Matches In ICC World Cup 2023 Due To Family Reasons, Aiden Markram To Lead The Team

South African skipper Temba Bavuma is expected to miss the warm-up matches of the upcoming World Cup 2023, which is scheduled to commence on October 5. Temba Bavuma will travel back home on Thursday, citing family reasons, and is expected to be available for league matches.

The South African cricket team arrived in India for the much-awaited World Cup on Monday, September 25. They are scheduled to face Afghanistan in their first warm-up match in Thiruvananthapuram on September 29, followed by the game against New Zealand on October 2.

Temba Bavuma To Miss Warm-Up Matches

According to ESPNCricinfo, Temba Bavuma will return home due to family reasons, causing him to miss the World Cup warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand. South Africa T20I captain Aiden Markram will assume the team’s leadership in his absence.

“South Africa captain Temba Bavuma is flying back home due to family reasons and will miss the World Cup warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand. Aiden Markram will lead the team in his absence,” wrote the caption.

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma is flying back home due to family reasons and will miss the World Cup warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand. Aiden Markram will lead the team in his absence #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/DTMmAk42ln

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 28, 2023

South Africa Set To Start Their Campaign On October 7

South Africa haven’t reached the final match of the World Cup despite playing in the semi-finals four times. They were eliminated in the group stage during the last edition of the World Cup, winning only three out of nine matches and finishing seventh in the standings.

Star pacer Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the tournament due to a lower back stress fracture. Sisanda Magala was also not included in the squad due to a knee injury. Andile Phehlukwayo and Lizaad Williams were named as replacements for Nortje and Magala in the squad.

South Africa Provisional World Cup Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: South Africa Announce World Cup Squad, Temba Bavuma To Lead, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs Left Out