Bavuma determined to be ready for home Cricket World Cup
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma is ready to take all preparations necessary to ensure he is fit to lead the Proteas at next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
South Africa's experienced skipper Temba Bavuma is excited to play in front of his home fans as South Africa get ready to co-host the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup with Zimbabwe and Namibia, but he also recognises that the journey to that point needs to be respected with methodical progression.
“I'll be 37 by then,” Bavuma told the ICC at the World Cup venue reveal event.
“So as much as there's the physical preparation that I'll have to do, but it's also from a mental point of view.
“To be able to deal with everything that comes with it but I think at the moment it's quite a lot that still needs to happen to get there.
“So it's still a dream at the back of my head. But I soldier on towards it and just keep winning those daily steps.”
Bavuma brings experience into next year’s tournament, after batting across four games at the 2023 World Cup but will know the expectations set for this current edition.
Following a semi-final exit in 2023 against Australia, the specialist batter and his team will be looking to set the tone for the competition and make the final for the first time in the country's history.
“And I think that's the one that you want. You know, it doesn't come often. You know, it's every four years, and it's a proper test in that,” he added.
“That's where you're expected to play at your best for a six-to-eight-week period. So, I mean, I had the taste of that in 2023 in India.”
The Cape Town native shared his thoughts on the opportunities for growth not just in Africa but also for cricket, due to the rich and cultural location which will host this grand competition.
“We have a lovely opportunity, a platform to showcase Africa in a way that we haven't been able to in a while,” Bavuma said.