T20 World Cup 2022: Temba Bavuma to not take ‘emotional’ decision on captaincy after South Africa crash out

T20 World Cup 2022: Temba Bavuma spoke about his captaincy after South Africa lost to the Netherlands in Adelaide and failed to advance to the semi-final of the mega event.

T20 WC 2022: Bavuma to not take ‘emotional’ decision on captaincy after SA crash out. Courtesy: AP

By India Today Web Desk: South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma said that he doesn’t intend to take any ‘emotional’ decisions on the captaincy. On Sunday, November 6, the Proteas lost to the Netherlands by 13 runs in the Super 12 match at the Adelaide Oval and crashed out of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

After being asked to chase down 159, Bavuma’s men could only manage 145 for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. South Africa needed an outright win to advance to the semis, but they failed to do so.

“It’s been a tricky time. To be considering that now, a lot of it will be emotional, in terms of my role as captain within the team. It’s something I will think about. I will speak to the relevant people. We have to see who comes in as a coach,” Bavuma was quoted as saying after the match.

“Generally, when you have changes like that, they might come in with a different style. They might find a different leader to execute whatever vision or style of play that they have. It will be emotional now if I think about all of that,” he stated.

The 32-year-old Bavuma also spoke about the constant criticism that he has had to face due to his captaincy and poor form with the bat in hand. The veteran said that facing backlash in the era of social media affects a player mentally.

“Mentally, it does eat at you as a player. You try to manage your mental space as much as you can. You try to control what gets to you, but with social media, whatever is being said out there always gets to you.

“I always try to keep a level head, through all the good and the bad times. I try to be as close to myself as possible. Not just for myself, but for this group. We are going to take a lot of flack as a group and rightly so,” Bavuma added.

In 14 ODIs and 25 T20Is, Bavuma has captained South Africa to victories in 22 matches. Back in March 2021, Bavuma took charge of the captaincy. Dean Elgar continues to lead the Proteas in Test cricket.