— Cape Town Temba Bavuma, captain of the Proteas Men, will not resign following his team’s elimination from the T20 World Cup in Australia on Sunday, citing “it would be an emotional decision right now”
The Proteas needed a victory against the thirteenth-ranked Netherlands in their last Group B encounter to advance to the semifinals. Nonetheless, the Dutch, who had never before defeated the Proteas in any format of the game, stunned South Africa with a 13-run victory, sending Bavuma’s team home.
South Africa’s terrible reputation as “chokers” in big International Cricket Council competitions has been strengthened by their loss to the Netherlands.
Due to his lack of runs, though, Bavuma’s position in the team has been heavily scrutinized during the entire competition. The captain scored 20 runs at a run-a-ball at the Adelaide Oval, but was unable to make a significant contribution in the effort to chase down the Netherlands’ 158/4.
The 32-year-old believes that the identity of the incoming Proteas Men’s team coach could impact his decision to continue in his leadership roles. The terrible performance against the Dutch coincided with current coach Mark Boucher’s last game in charge before joining the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Cricket South Africa has already appointed Malibongwe Maketa as the new interim coach for the upcoming Test tour of Australia, but they have yet to name a coach for the limited-overs team.
“It’s been a difficult period,” said Bavuma. “To be contemplating that (quitting) at this time will involve a great deal of emotion, given my status as team captain. It is something I will consider. I will speak with the pertinent parties.
“We must determine who will serve as coach. Typically, when such alterations occur, they may have a different aesthetic. They might seek for a different leader to accomplish their vision or playing style. Now, if I consider all of that, I will feel emotional. If I were to depart, I would do it with my honor intact.”
Four South African-born Dutch players, Roelof van Merwe, Colin Ackerman, Brandon Glover, and Stephan Myburgh, all had a significant impact on the match. This added insult to injury for the Proteas team.
Myburgh began the inning with a score of 37 before Ackerman concluded it with a score of 41. Glover took three wickets for twenty runs, while Van der Merwe, who participated in two previous T20 World Cups for the Proteas in 2009 and 2010, took the decisive catch to eliminate David Miller.
Bavuma added that the Proteas will not be able to shed the “chokers” label until they win a major ICC tournament.
“I believe it will always be there until we reach the final and ultimately come out on the winning side of that result. There is no one to blame. Everything was in our control, he declared.
“This is disappointing for everyone. The most upsetting aspect was that we failed to cross the finish line when we needed to. And when it counted, we were unable to conduct business. This monkey will still be carried on our backs.”
@ZaahierAdams