I don’t feel much pressure, rather it eggs me on, reveals Temba Bavuma

South Africa had made a surprise inclusion in their T20 squad to face India in the subcontinent by naming Temba Bavuma in the 15-member list, even though he is considered to be a red-ball specialist. However, even though he is more inclined towards old school cricket, the batsman admitted that he had worked hard in the limited-over formats on the domestic circuit. It paid dividends, for he scored a brilliant 49 in the first game followed by a crucial 27 that helped his team tie the series.

“It was a good experience; I really enjoyed myself in the challenge. T20 cricket has always been something that I have wanted to play. To get an opportunity at the highest level, against one of the strongest countries in the world was a good feeling. And to be able to put in meaningful contributions and performances towards the team made it even better,” he was quoted saying by Hindustan Times.

The middle-order batsman had first shot into the spotlight in the international arena when three years ago he scripted history by becoming the first black player from his nation to score a Test century. However, now with 36 Tests to his name and more than 1,500-runs, it remains his only three-figure score.

“It is a little bit frustrating. If I look back at my brief Test career, there have been opportunities where I could have added a lot more hundreds in that century column. But things have just happened the way they do. In my mind, my goal is to contribute to the team and obviously, in the end, you will be judged on the meaningful contributions that you make—the hundreds that you make—and that is definitely something that is within my sight. So, it isn’t so much pressure, rather it eggs me on,” Bavuma claimed.

He has received quite some flak for some underwhelming performances in the six years he has represented the Proteas but the boy from Cape Town has learned to emerge through it all.

“Quite a lot, to be honest. I have learnt to balance out the two. I am more of a person who tries not to have his head in the media and everything that is being written—be it positive or negative. That keeps me grounded, allows me to make decisions based on how I see things and not how other people see. The tricky part is controlling how it affects your family and people close to you. It is always an ongoing battle and it is not going anywhere I think,” he explained.

The 29-year-old took yet another step forward in international cricket after he was named vice-captain for the three Tests against India.

“It is a big responsibility. In saying that, me as a not-so-young player anymore, I can take a lot of confidence from being given this type of title and responsibility among the leaders within our team. I am going to lean a lot on the senior players to really assist in driving the team forward. My role is to assist the captain, ensuring that his philosophy and his approach to the game are instilled within the team,” he concluded on the matter.