Bavuma wants Proteas to move on

A new coach and a new squad under Temba Bavuma is the perfect combination for the Proteas to start afresh as they prepare to face the West Indies.

It’s been nothing short of a tumultuous period in Proteas red-ball cricket of late. But Bavuma is hoping that his teammates let go of past losses and memories and focus on forging new beginnings.

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Bavuma has been selected as new coach Shukri Conrad’s captain in a squad that features nine players that were rolled over in Australia recently.

“We went to Australia and got a good beating,” said Bavuma told IOL.

But the middle-order batsman knows how much has changed within the dressing room since that tour.

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“With that there were lessons that guys took individually from it. It was quite hard to have a team de-brief on it because the management who were there, some of those guys are not here now. From a personal point of view, I went back and looked at areas I could work on,” added Bavuma.

The match against the West Indies begins on Tuesday, 28 February.

Bavuma continued: “Here within the Test team, guys would’ve dealt with the challenges that they faced. I also think that guys need to be kind to themselves and understand that Australia is another tough place to tour. That’s why people respect Australia for the country that they are.

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“Another thing is not to hold on for too long to the trauma or that baggage. At some point you have to move on from it and I trust that the guys have done that.”

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeepr), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton.

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alick Athanaze, Jermaine Blackwood, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua da Silva (wicketkeeper), Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Akeem Jordan, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Devon Thomas.

Test match dates:

28 February – 4 March: First Test at Centurion
8-12 March: Second Test at Wanderers, Johannesburg

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