Proteas captain Temba Bavuma heads home, misses 2023 Cricket World Cup warm-ups

By SABC Sport
30th September 2023

South African ODI skipper Temba Bavuma has gone home to attend to personal issues and is not participating in the Cricket World Cup warm-up fixtures in India.

The 33-year-old has been in good form with the bat ahead of the global cricket showpiece, scoring 217 runs in his four innings against Australia in the Proteas' recent 3-2 series victory in South Africa.

According to a statement from Cricket South Africa, Temba Bavuma has travelled back home due to family reasons with Man of the Series against the Aussies Aiden Makram captaining the side in his absence.

South Africa was due to face Afghanistan in the first warm-up match on Friday, however, the fixture was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.

The Proteas are scheduled to take on New Zealand on Monday but that fixture could also be chalked off due to inclement lousy weather predicted for the day.

Bavuma is expected to be back with the squad in time for their 2023 Cricket World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on 7 October at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Dehli.

South Africa has already lost seamers Anrich Norje and Sisanda Magala due to injury and fitness issues and will be banking on their skipper to lead them in India as they look to overcome the "chokers" tag at ICC tournaments.

The Proteas have never reached the final of an ODI Cricket World Cup, bowing out of the semi-finals on four occasions of the seven times they have appeared in the tournament.