“It’s definitely on my mind. When you’re injured and you start a rehabilitation process, it’s always difficult,” he said in Pretoria, where South Africa is taking part in a preparation camp ahead of its summer test at home. “It’s just [about] trying to overcome all those mental demons and get to a space where you accept what’s happening and try to deal with it. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks.”
“Even though the boys played as well as they did against Bangladesh, it was quite frustrating for me not to be able to participate in that,” he said. “But obviously, I was really happy with how the guys performed.”
“I don’t know what the next few weeks or months are going to look like. I’m just happy to be able to talk to you right now,” he said. “I’ll try to prepare as much as I can physically and mentally. And I hope the gods can smile on me a little more.”
So far, Bavuma said his “elbow feels good,” the intensity of his training has “definitely increased” and he is mentally ready to go. “I feel pretty fresh and excited too to have the opportunity to hit, to put on the pads and to run on the field. From a skills standpoint, you always have to develop it, develop that confidence.” – Feel yourself hitting the ball down the middle and feel that your movements are how you want them to be.”
“I feel pretty fresh and excited too to have the opportunity to hit, put on my pads and run on the field.”
Temba Bavuma
While Bavuma continues to regain his own sense of self-confidence, South Africa’s is increasing, not only because they have not lost a Test series under Shukri Conrad but because their fate in the WTC is in their own hands. If they win the remaining four Tests (two against Sri Lanka and Pakistan), they will be guaranteed a place in the final. Considering South Africa have played fewer games than anyone else and effectively lost a series in New Zealand, where they were without most of their starting players committed to the SA20, the fact that they are still in contention is impressive, and they know it. he.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” Bavuma said. “Obviously, as a group, starting the WTC cycle is one of the things we talked about in terms of what we would like to achieve. Things got a little complicated for us after the New Zealand trip, but there was always a goal “. “In the back of our minds we understand that expectations and pressure will likely increase.”
There is also renewed hope in South African cricket. After reaching three T20 World Cup finals in 18 months (two for women and one for men) and the semi-final of the Men’s ODI World Cup against expectations, there is a feeling that something big (read: trophy) It must be on the horizon. Whether this happens now or in the future, Bavuma can feel the positive change and hopes his team will lean on it.
“From a confidence standpoint, that’s definitely grown within the team,” he said. “We play at home during the holidays and in front of our home fans. Hopefully the stadiums will have a little more people than we are used to. We have put in some good performances, so from confidence and conviction “From my point of view , it’s been good to see. “As a team, we will endure it as long as it lives within us.”
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
