Bavuma on lopsided cricket calendar: ‘We have to make sure our performances are of such high quality that bigger teams – England, Australia, India – are lining up to play us’

After a two-match ODI series against the Netherlands, South Africa will be sitting idle till September. It’s fast becoming the reality of the less-powerful cricket nations and South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma has a philosophical shrug about it.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, he was asked about the inequities of an international cricketing calendar dominated India, England, and Australia. This was his response.
“That’s the reality. It’s hard to accept you’re going to be playing less and less. But as players our responsibility is to make sure our performances are of such high quality that these bigger teams – England, Australia, India – are lining up to play us,” Bavuma said.
Bavuma says he wants to play cricket instead of being idle, and is hopeful that some county cricket would offer him that chance.
“It’s a bit unique this year in terms of our schedule as we’ve got a long international break. After we play the Netherlands [in a two-match ODI series] we have no cricket until September and that’s a white ball warm-up against Australia [before the World Cup]. So during that time I’d love to get some cricket in.
“I really enjoyed playing for Northants in 2019 and they got promoted that year. So if another county opportunity comes I would super enjoy it.”
Bavuma is the poster boy in some ways to the black population in South Africa, his rise often cited as the example for other kids to follow his path. Bavuma talked about the pressures involved.
“I was just a young boy who fell in love with cricket, but the more I played the more I understood my significance in the team. That went far beyond my dreams as a kid. It’s definitely an added pressure and it can get heavy to carry. It can feel burdensome.
“But it’s also something I’ve tried to see as a privilege – to carry on and take it as a part of my journey. It’s tough and I don’t think the system really prepared me to deal with all the pressures that come with it. A times it becomes difficult to see who you can speak to about those challenges.“I’m not complaining. It’s something I have to carry and I will do so bravely, with a smile on my face, while not forgetting I’m at this level because I once loved this damned sport. I still have this wonderful opportunity to live through my passion,” Bavuma said.

He also picked his favourites to win the Ashes series between England and Australia. “The way England have been batting makes it an exciting one. But it won’t be easy for them against that Australian attack. It’s a tough one, but I’ll back the English. The conditions play a massive part and adapting to them will be a lot easier for them. I would go with the English. I’ll definitely go and watch a day or two of the Ashes live if I can. Watching it live and on TV are very different.”