Temba Bavuma has been appointed Test captain for the two-match series against West Indies starting at month end, as part of what Cricket South Africa (CSA) has termed a “restructure within the leadership group”.
The 32-year-old right-hander, the first black African batsman to play Tests for South Africa, replaces Dean Elgar who led the Proteas in 15 Tests over nearly two years. Bavuma is also the current white-ball captain but while he will continue to lead the squad in One-Day Internationals, he has given up leadership of the Twenty20 International unit.
“Cricket South Africa would like to welcome Temba as the new captain of the Proteas men’s national team,” said Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe. “He is a player that has vast captaincy experience both at domestic level and on the international stage having led both the ODI and T20I teams since March 2021 when he was appointed.
“We trust he will deliver on all our expectations and help carry the team forward after some excellent work by his predecessor Dean during the same period. “At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Dean for all his commitment to the role over the past two years. “He helped the team navigate through some stormy waters and put them in good position on the ICC World Test Championship table.”
He continued: “Both men have made us proud with the work they have done within the wider Proteas group and look forward to the next step in what is a new era for the Proteas under the leadership of dual coaches Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter.”
Bavuma has averaged 34 from 54 Tests since making his debut nine years ago against West Indies but has made only one hundred – an unbeaten 102 against England in 2016.
He leads a 15-man squad which will miss batsmen Rassie van der Dussen and Kyle Verreynne, along with fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, after the trio were dropped.
Elgar has retained his place while Senuran Muthusamy, a left-arm spinning all-rounder, has been recalled for the first time in nearly four years, along with Aiden Markram who has not played in nearly a year.
Batsman Keegan Petersen has recovered from a hamstring injury to take his place in the squad while there is a maiden call-up for 25-year-old right-hander Tony de Zorzi.
The restructure has also seen the axing of chief selector Victor Mpitsang, with CSA announcing the head coaches in each format to play a “leading role” in selections in the interim.
South Africa will assemble in Centurion on February 24 for the first Test which bowls off February 28 at SuperSport Park.
The second Test gets underway at the Wanderers March 8.
SQUAD – Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton.
-CMC
