In the fast-paced world of cricket, where every moment is scrutinized, even a simple photograph can become the talk of the town. Recently, a picture of South Africa’s skipper, Temba Bavuma, during a pre-World Cup captains’ meet went viral on social media, leading to much speculation and amusement.
The photograph in question depicted Temba Bavuma sitting on a chair alongside other players on the stage during the pre-World Cup captains’ meet. To many, it seemed like Bavuma had dozed off during the event. The image quickly made its way across social media platforms, with cricket enthusiasts sharing it, and even England’s Barmy Army joined in on the fun by posting the photo on Twitter, playfully suggesting, “Temba Bavuma has just fallen asleep in the World Cup captain’s conference.”
As the photograph gained attention and humor flooded social media, Temba Bavuma cleared the air. In a response to the post by England’s Barmy Army, he humorously blamed the camera angle for the misleading appearance. Bavuma responded straightforwardly: “I blame the camera angle; I wasn’t sleeping.” The skipper lightened the situation with this witty comeback and ended the speculation.
While the viral photograph brought some light-hearted moments, South Africa’s journey to the ICC World Cup has been marked by significant developments. They enter the tournament without two key pacers, Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala, ruled out due to injuries. However, under Temba Bavuma, the team seems to be hitting its stride at the right time.
Temba Bavuma has just fallen asleep in the World Cup captain's conference pic.twitter.com/GqQXZ3MenG
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) October 4, 2023
In a recent ODI series against Australia, the Proteas demonstrated their resilience by staging a remarkable comeback. Despite trailing 2-0 initially, they clinched the series 3-2 by winning the last three matches with convincing margins of over 100 runs each time. This impressive turnaround showcased South Africa’s ability to adapt and perform under pressure.
South Africa’s World Cup journey is set to begin with their opening match against Sri Lanka, scheduled to be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 7. It’s a crucial match that will set the tone for their campaign, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how the team performs on the big stage.
In their last World Cup warm-up game, South Africa faced New Zealand, and the match was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method due to inclement weather. New Zealand posted a competitive total of 321 for 6 in 50 overs, with Devon Conway and Tom Latham scoring half-centuries. Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen impressed with three wickets each.
Due to rain interruptions, according to the DLS method, South Africa was tasked with a target of 219 runs in 37 overs. The team put up a spirited fight but fell short, scoring 211 for 4 in the stipulated overs. Quinton de Kock, set to retire after the World Cup, showed his class a well-crafted 84 off 89 balls, while Rassie van der Dussen contributed with a half-century.
