Bavuma must find room to think clearly – Smith

Graeme Smith hopes Temba Bavuma finds time for himself ahead of the World Test Championship final to get into the right mindset before tackling Australia.

Smith, who holds the record for the most number of Tests as a skipper, said Bavuma would be scrutinised in the build-up to Lord’s.

“Temba is going to have a lot going on for him — first and foremost he’s a key batter, he’s got to get himself into a good space,” he said.

Bavuma has played no cricket since the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals in March. He’s had to make do with net sessions at Cricket SA’s High Performance Centre, while the majority of his teammates have been at the Indian Premier League (IPL) and a handful of others have got a feel for English conditions in the County circuit. 

He was South Africa’s best batter last season, scoring over 500 runs at an average of 72.00 in four Tests, making two hundreds and three fifties in that period.

Besides the usual media duties, Bavuma will feature in numerous promotions before the June 11 start, and balancing those responsibilities with his duties as captain will require careful management by the Proteas. 

“As captain, I played more of an individual role. I let the coach do the heavy lifting with the strategy. Closer to game day is when your role (as captain) kicks in,” said Smith, who will be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame during the final. 

With the calendar so jam-packed, having the squad together for almost two weeks, as the Proteas will be, is a luxury not usually afforded to teams in the current era, but Smith says the right balance needs to be found so players aren’t overcooked by the time the match starts. 

“In 2003, I was a first-time captain, super-nervous, first time experiencing all that stuff. It was actually at Arundel, where I got a hundred and everything turned around for me. I arrived at Edgbaston (for the first Test), and yes, I had to find a mental way to deal with the pressures, but I felt good about my game, I felt I was in a good place with my own game.”

The Proteas will be conducting the majority of their training in Arundel, including a four-day match with Zimbabwe, before travelling up to London. 

The No 3 spot will be one of the main topics for discussion, with Tony de Zorzi and Wiaan Mulder the players Shukri Conrad and Bavuma must decide between. Conrad has backed Mulder’s technical ability to bat at No 3, even though he’s not performed the role provincially, but De Zorzi has opened for South Africa and is more accustomed to batting in the top order. 

“The top three in England is very important, especially against that (Australian) attack. We used to call it the engine, me and Hash (Amla) and whoever opened with me... it allows the middle order to do their thing if (the top three) provide a solid platform. Shucks has options, but he must be aware of not confusing himself. It will be a big decision,” said Smith.