"I've probably scored most runs within the team": Proteas skipper Bavuma reflects on his performance in WTC cycle

As South Africa (SA) gears up for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's on June 11, Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma reflected on his performance in test cricket over the last five years. Since December 2019, Bavuma has been South Africa's leading run-scorer in Tests, averaging close to 50. Bavuma is leading SA to its first-ever WTC final after topping the 2023-25 standings with a 69.44-point percentage.

"If I look at the last four or five years in Test cricket, I think I've been more than a solid performer. I've probably scored the most runs within the team. My average has been up there," Temba Bavuma said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

Since the start of 2020, Bavuma has made 1794 runs in 24 matches, at an average of 48.48 and strike rate of 50, including three centuries and 11 fifties, which makes him the leading run scorer for SA in the WTC cycle.

"I try not to live off what the hype is out there. If the stats are telling a different story to what people are saying, then why should I really worry about people who are trying to find things that aren't really there? Maybe the difference now is that I've started to score 100-plus scores, and that's probably given a lot more confidence to people.

Temba Bavuma is currently sixth on the ICC's Test rankings, and it points to someone who is both consistent and in form, which are two labels hardly ever pinned on him.

"But in terms of actual run-scoring, I've been doing it for the last four to five years. I find myself in the ICC's top ten - that doesn't happen over a space of six months, so I've obviously grown as a batter, I've grown as a player, as well as a leader."

Bavuma reflected on his career, emphasising the value of experiences over statistics.

"My career has been an incredible one for me, not from a statistical point of view, but from the experiences I've had. With all the things I've gone through, all the things I've managed to overcome, you almost get to a point where you feel like it can't get any worse," he said.

He's faced disappointments and rejections, but he feels these challenges have made him resilient. He found comfort in his ability to overcome adversity and believes he's mentally prepared for anything, accepting whatever comes his way.

"I've been disappointed. I've been rejected. I've been embarrassed. So I don't feel like there's anything that can really be any worse than what I've gone through. And I take a lot of belief and comfort in the fact that here I am, I'm still standing stronger than ever. I believe that I have whatever it takes mentally to deal with whatever comes my way. The acceptance comes from that," he added.

Bavuma also discussed his leadership journey, noting how he initially took on excessive responsibility due to off-field issues within the team. This caused him to neglect his role as a player and batter.

"In the earlier parts of my leadership, I tried to take on a lot of responsibility because when I came in as a captain, there was a lot of turmoil happening in the team off the field. I allowed myself to get caught up in all of that and didn't pay due diligence to myself as the batter, as the player," he ended. (ANI)