Proteas Bavuma

Temba Bavuma in action for the Proteas. Photo: EPA/RICHARD WAINWRIGHT

Proteas committed to playing the South African way, whatever that means

The Proteas are committed to playing the South African way first and foremost, according to white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma.

Proteas Bavuma

Temba Bavuma in action for the Proteas. Photo: EPA/RICHARD WAINWRIGHT

The Proteas are committed to playing the South African way first and foremost, according to white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma.

Proteas want to play the South African way

Bavuma would add that the Proteas wouldn’t be afraid to learn from England and adapt their methods to their own purposes.

“”They are the pioneers – not just white-ball cricket, even in red-ball cricket,” Bavuma said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo

“We are South Africans. We have our way of thinking, our way of doing things. 

“There’s nothing wrong with us taking a little bit from England, putting it together and seeing what comes about. With the personnel we have, guys going out and expressing themselves…if that equates to a South African Bazball way of playing – to use a stupid term – then so be it. 

“If it means we are going to go out there and block the sh*t out of the ball, so be it.”

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The Proteas head into a ODI series against England on Friday looking to ensure automatic qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Bavuma says that the Proteas are embracing the challenge of trying to reach the 2023 World Cup directly.

The Proteas need to win three of their five remaining Cricket World Cup Super League matches to stand any chance of cracking the top eight.

Three of those matches will be against England in the next week.

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“We know where we stand in terms of how many games we need to win,” he said. 

“We’d like to shift our focus a little bit, looking to the World Cup. 

“It’s an opportunity for us to clear up our identity and how we would like to play and we would like to use these games as an opportunity to do that. 

“We know what we need to do and if it means in June we are playing in the qualifiers, that’s something we are prepared to do. 

“That’s something everyone is prepared to do looking at the decision that was made to make way for the SA20.”

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