Temba Bavuma failed to score runs for the Proteas again against India. Photo: Richard Wainright/EPA
Within the space of a week, South Africa’s cricketers would have travelled the broad spectrum of Australia’s vast landscape.
From east to west and then back again. Four hours, 50 minutes one way. And then four hours, 15 minutes back again. It’s a shorter journey to travel to another country with New Zealand’s capital Auckland just three hours from Sydney.
But these are the things needed to be done if a T20 World Cup is to be won. As Aiden Markram said after the epic win over India at Perth Stadium on Sunday, “it’s just about finding a way”.
It is a trait that forms the backbone of this group of Proteas.
Consistently referred to as a team without any ‘superstars’, the coming together of a couple of prodigal sons, and who have a coach and captain that nobody supposedly wants, it’s quite an achievement that the Proteas find themselves atop of Group 2 and the destiny of their semi-final progression in their own hands with two games remaining.
Sydney selfies with the #Proteas 🤳#T20WorldCup #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/cxmBU7YYWR
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 31, 2022
This is partially due to the fact that, particularly the batting unit, there is no sole reliance on any individual to get the job done. In the not too distant past Quinton de Kock shouldered plenty of that responsibility, which severely hindered De Kock’s free spirit.
The return of Rilee Rossouw has alleviated that pressure though with the powerful left-hander playing with the freedom of someone who knows how extremely fortunate he is to have been given a second chance.
And then there’s Markram. If ever there was a tortured genius it’s the 28-year-old from Pretoria. Anointed the golden child of South African cricket ever since lifting the ICC Under-19 World Cup trophy in the desert sands of Dubai in 2014, he has not quite lived up to his billing.
But for all the trauma endured in Test and ODI cricket, he is doing his damnedest to pull it all together in the shortest format for his country.
Markram, along with the old-hand of the batting unit David Miller, has been remarkably consistent in a format where inconsistency is the only constant.
Sunday’s half-century against India was his fifth in 12 innings since the start of last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. In that period Markram has accumulated 416 runs at an average of 46.22 at a strike-rate of 149.10.
But here is where that strong Ubuntu spirit comes through again with Markram clarifying that his success is only due to the performances of the other batters around him.
“In a format like this you have to take risks where you have to play a positive brand of cricket, it certainly helps when your (other) batters seem to be in form,” he said.
“It does free us up a bit. It definitely does help. I did not feel like I was in form. But I suppose you get wickets like that, and it's just about finding a way. And hopefully all the batters can take on from that going forward.”
There is, of course, the lingering issue regarding captain Temba Bavuma’s lack of runs after the skipper managed just 10 off 15 balls against India. It is the latest failure during a wretched run by the Proteas captain.
But Markram, and the rest of the Proteas squad, are defiant that Bavuma remains a vital part of the team unit.
“Every player goes through these sort of form slumps. With games that are so close to each other, it can seem a lot worse than what it is. But I think the whole team, management involved, have been there for Temba. And our ideas don't change about his ability. We all know his ability and our team and the role that he plays, not just from batting, but also from a leadership point of view as well,” Markram said.
“His leadership in my opinion has been excellent. On-field decisions have been really good that he's making. So I've got no doubt he'll come right with the bat. And, yeah, if he does, and we can get off to some good starts, I think it's going to help our batting unit a lot, but certainly not doubting his ability at all.
“I think the whole team, and I can speak on behalf of the team as we all support him. It happens to everyone. We've all been through it. I've been through it more than once, unfortunately.
“It's always just one knock away, and that's sort of the message that Temba has been given for the time being.”