“I feel like a different Temba came out”

South African captain Temba Bavuma has revealed that he feels like a newer version of himself since the three-match ODI series against England. The 32-year-old also expressed his excitement at playing in SA20.

The right-handed batter initially found no takers in SA20 but bagged a deal after regaining form in the 50-over series against England. He had scores of 36, 109, and 35 as Proteas beat England comfortably to keep their hopes of direct qualification for the 2023 World Cup alive.

The veteran batter said he can’t wait to join the SunRisers Eastern Cape (SEC) following a productive series against England. He said, as quoted by iol.com.za:

“I am so excited to be joining up with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape team for the remainder of the SA20 campaign. I look forward to the opportunity and look forward to being part of an incredible bunch of guys and I’m sure good memories will be made.

“I am quite satisfied with my performances against England. I feel like a different Temba came out and stood up in the last three games. It was me just trying to express myself for the team. I’ll take the confidence from these last three games and hopefully, it flows into the other games and formats.”

Bavuma walked into the series under massive pressure, both as captain and batter, especially after South Africa’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. He also managed only 70 runs in five games at 17.50.

“The quality of the bowlers on both sides are high” – Temba Bavuma

Reflecting on the high-scoring series, the captain stated that both batting units raised their games exponentially. However, he admitted that the rules are hard on bowlers in white-ball cricket. Bavuma explained:

“The quality of the bowlers on both sides are high. The skill levels are definitely among the best. Maybe it just speaks to the quality of the batting that was on display in this series, maybe that needs to be appreciated a bit more than just having a go at the bowlers.

“White ball cricket is hard on the bowlers. You don’t have a lot of guys on the boundary, you’re contending with two new balls.”

The SEC will lock horns against the Durban Super Giants in Durban on Friday (February 3).