Nobody who happened to be in or around the SA team on tour in Darwin and Cairns for the past 10 days could have been in any doubt that it is a working trip, despite the temptations on offer to tourists from around the world but also from the southern states of the country where winter does actually mean cold and wet weather.
The training sessions between matches have been lengthy and, unlike years gone by, evening forays to local restaurants have been more about which fish to try with a glass of sparkling water rather than beer or wine. But the day after the final T20 International, which the Proteas lost by just two wickets off the penultimate delivery to concede the series 2-1, the majority of the players and coaching staff were given the day off.
Seven or eight were industrious enough to book snorkelling excursions to the Great Barrier Reef and others travelled 10km up the coast to find the best beaches and safe swimming water. The esplanade on the city waterfront makes for charming walks and jogs but the mangrove mudflats and saltwater crocodiles make swimming less attractive.
Temba Bavuma, however, was man alone. In the nets, facing half a dozen local bowlers. The Test and One-Day captain hasn’t played a competitive match since the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) but he has not been idle at home, having embarked on a tour of the country with the WTC mace as well as working to repair the hamstring which he tore during his team’s epic, fourth innings run chase at Lord’s.
“It’s been a busy time at home, becoming accustomed to all the appreciation there is among fans for our success at Lord’s, and the time away from the game has also allowed me to get the body strong again, but I’m fully fit now and raring to go again,” Bavuma said.
He is a conscientious cricketer and knew he needed to feel bat on ball rather than the ocean on his body. And he’s excited, though not disrespectfully quickly, to assume the captaincy reins from Aiden Markram.
“Dewald Brevis was obviously the talking point [during the T20 series] so I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in the one-day stuff and also getting to know young guys like Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Kwena [Maphaka] was excellent in the T20s so he’s been added to the ODI squad and Prenelan Subrayen is there too. Like the T20 series, it’s a bit of an exploration to see where guys can fit in and what our best XI looks like,” Bavuma said.
One decision has been made — the captain will not be opening the batting with the T20 combination of Markram and Ryan Rickelton remaining at the top of the order with Bavuma set to come in at No 3: “We’ll keep them together in all formats and see how that goes. It’s not much of a change for me but I’ll make whatever adjustments I need to,” Bavuma said.
The last time the teams met in an ODI was at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in the World Cup semifinal almost two years ago. “That feels like a very, very long time ago,” he said whimsically.
There has been an understandable intensity about the man for many years, enforced by unnecessary and often badly uninformed criticism of his performances. He has coped with the weight of expectation and the snipers’ bullets with equal grace.
The WTC victory, finally, has provided him with the freedom to smile, even laugh, and the appreciation that his burden, heavy as it may have felt, is still about the battle between bat and ball. He’s remembering to cherish the simple things, like sunshine.
“It’s special to be able to come and experience a different part of Australia and to play on such a beautiful ground, though it’s a bit bigger than I’m accustomed to so there’ll be plenty of running to do on the outfield. But the weather is a lot better than it is in Johannesburg at the moment.”
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