There is a poignant moment in a recent spine-tingling advert where Temba Bavuma stands atop of a hill and looks over a township like the Lion King admiring his African kingdom.
The advert goes further to provide the meaning of the Proteas skipper’s name, which translated from isiXhosa means ‘Hope’.
Both those carefully crafted scenes provide a stunningly accurate reflection of the importance of Bavuma leading the Proteas at an ICC 50-overs Men’s Cricket World Cup, which he will do for the first time on Saturday in his team’s opening game against Sri Lanka in Delhi (10.30am SA time start).
Bavuma is a beacon of hope for millions in South Africa – a living product of what can be achieved despite plenty of obstacles being placed in the way.
Great responsibility
That is a heavy weight to bear.
And yet World Cups come with its own unique pressures, particularly for South Africans, due to a past that is littered with trauma.
The Proteas therefore don’t only face the 1996 champions on Saturday, but have a head-on collision with history at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
“I think the biggest thing, at least for myself, is to accept that it is what it is. As a South African team, we know we’re going to have that chip on our block, or that narrative that we have to get over. That’s always going to be there until we win silverware,” Bavuma told reporters in Delhi on Friday.
“I think most guys will tell you that they try to block it out. I think it’s probably impossible to block out that noise. That expectation, that pressure, I think will always be there.
“It will obviously be heightened when it comes to a World Cup type of event.
“I think our biggest way of dealing with that is to be fully focused on, obsessed with each other, in ourselves, and how we want to go about doing our work on the field.
“We understand that it’s going to be a process. But look, that pressure, that expectation, that’s always going to be there for us as a team, for any Proteas team. That’s something you’ve just got to deal with.”
Less than ideal preparation
Bavuma missed both the Proteas warm-up matches – they ultimately only played three-quarters of one due to the weather – after returning to South Africa for “family reasons”.
But in his absence, the team have undergone thorough preparation under the watchful eyes of head coach Rob Walter, batting coach JP Duminy, bowling coach Eric Simons and the rest of the support staff.
Bavuma certainly feels his charges are ready for the Sri Lankan contest, with the skipper emphasising the importance of starting a World Cup campaign on a positive note – unlike four years ago, when they managed just two points from their opening four matches.
“I think we’re satisfied with our preparation. Yes, we didn’t get the opportunity to play the warm-up games, obviously because of the weather. But I think from a freshness point of view within the guys, I think that’s a positive that we can take,” Bavuma said.
“In terms of starting well, that has always been a focal area around us as a team. We’ve spoken a lot about that. We’ve tried to find practical ways as to how we can start well.
“We haven’t always started well, to be honest, but the focus and the awareness is there.
“Like I said, with the World Cup, any team can win on the day, so if you’re not there on the day, you can get caught with your pants down.”
Both the Proteas and Sri Lanka have arguably had their chief strike weapons Anrich Nortjé (back) and Wanindu Hasaranga (hamstring) ruled out of this World Cup, with the focus now shifting to their replacements, Gerald Coetzee and Dushan Hemantha, carrying the load.
Bavuma backs his troops
But Bavuma has full confidence in the likes of Coetzee, and is still backing his fast bowlers to do a job against a Sri Lankan batting line-up that are still reeling from being rolled for just 50 in the Asian Cup final last month.
“We always kind of lean to planning around our fast bowlers. That is our strength as a South African team. I think that’s no secret to anyone who would be planning against us,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing is the conditions and trying to put together a team, trying to put together a tactic that speaks to those conditions and conditions that we can exploit as best as we can.”
Possible Teams
Proteas: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj/Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Patthum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dunith Wellalage, Dushan Hemantha, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana.