“It was definitely in my head. When you’re injured and you start a rehab phase, it’s always tough,” he said in Pretoria, where South Africa is taking part in a preparatory camp ahead of their home Test in the summer. “It’s just a matter of overcoming all those mental demons and getting into a state where you accept what’s happening and try to deal with it. It’s been a difficult few weeks.”

“As good as the boys played against Bangladesh, it was quite frustrating for me not to be able to take part in that,” he said. “But of course I was really pleased with the boys’ performance.”

“I don’t know what the next few weeks or months will look like. I’m just glad I can talk to you at this time,” he said. “I will try to prepare as best I can physically and mentally. And hopefully the gods can smile on me a little longer.”

So far, Bavuma said his “elbow feels good”, the intensity of his training has “definitely increased” and he is mentally ready to go. “I’m also feeling pretty fresh and excited to have the opportunity to bat, put my pads on and run around the field. As far as skills go, you just have to build your confidence.” – Feel how you hit the ball from the center and feel your movements are the way you want them to be.

“I also feel pretty fresh and excited to have the opportunity to bat, put my pads on and run on the field.”

Temba Bavuma

As Bavuma continues to regain his own confidence, South Africa’s confidence is soaring, not just because they haven’t lost a Test series under Shukri Conrad, but because the WTC fate is in their own hands. If they win all four remaining Tests (two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan), they are guaranteed a place in the final. Considering South Africa have played fewer games than anyone else and virtually lost a series in New Zealand, where they were without most of their regular players who were signed for the SA20, it is impressive that they remain in the competition , and they know it.

“There is a lot of excitement,” Bavuma said. “As a group, we obviously talked about what we wanted to achieve at the start of the WTC cycle. Things got a little difficult for us after the New Zealand trip, but there was always a goal.” We understand that the expectations and pressure are likely to increase.

There is new hope in South African cricket too. After reaching three T20 World Cup finals in 18 months (twice by the women and once by the men) and reaching the men’s ODI World Cup semi-final against expectations, there is a feeling that something big (read: trophy) is on the way. must be on the horizon. Whether that comes now or in the future, Bavuma feels the positive change and hopes his team embraces it.

“The team has definitely grown out of belief,” he said. “We play at home and in front of our home fans at festive times. Hopefully the stadiums will have a little more people than we are used to. We showed some good performances, so out of self-confidence and conviction. From my point of view, it’s good to see that we will keep it up for as long as it lives in us.”