South Africa Stand-in skipper Aiden Markram said that the team management is still unsure if Proteas captain Temba Bavuma would be fit for their cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Bavuma was forced to withdraw due to sickness in the game against England on Saturday.
South Africa will be eager to defeat Bangladesh at the Wankhede Stadium, where conditions have favoured their style of play. Due to illness, Temba Bavuma missed their most recent match against the defending champions and the team management would be looking to give the South Africa skipper much more time to recover ahead of the big games against Pakistan, New Zealand, and India.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game against Bangladesh, Aiden Markram said that is very unfortunate for Temba Bavuma to miss out on the clash and added that his leadership skills in the middle are missed despite being South Africa’s emphatic win over England. He stated that the final decision-making date about his participation would be taken on the game day.
“It was very unfortunate for Temba. We missed his leadership on the field. What were Bavuma’s chances of playing on Tuesday? He’s definitely improving, A final call will be made on him tomorrow but he is in better spirits,” Aiden Markram said.
On Monday, Temba Bavuma was present in the nets, first faced a left-handed stance to assist Tabraiz Shamsi in refining his line for southpaws and eventually bat, but without protective gear get back into the shape and it will be interesting to see whether the Proteas Skipper come into the playing 11 for the game against Bangladesh game.
They’re Ticking The Boxes To Make Sure They’re Mentally Ready – Aiden Markram
South African players were seen involved in a good practice session in the scorching heats of Mumbai, Aiden Markram said that the players want to improve and tick all their boxes going forward in the ODI World Cup. The Proteas will good chance of moving up in the points table if they manage to defeat Bangladesh on Sunday.
“The guys love hitting balls and bowling, They are always keen to chip away at their game and improve, that’s why we see quite a few of them here. They’re ticking the boxes to make sure they’re mentally ready for tomorrow,” Aiden Markram added.
Given the heat and humidity of Mumbai, nine of the 15 South African players took part in the optional practice session, which lasted a little over an hour.
Bavuma’s team has every reason to remain focused as they attempt to earn a spot in the semifinals because they are on the rise in the marquee event but suffered a shocking defeat against Netherlands.
