Now the issue is whether Bavuma should keep his place in an ODI World Cup XI in which he has underwhelmed. Six members of the squad have scored more runs than he has, eight have higher averages, and 11 have a better strike rate in the tournament.
The last three words of that sentence are important. Bavuma arrived at the World Cup as South Africa’s leading run-scorer in ODIs this year. All told, he has had 36 innings in the format and made 1,512 runs. The only South Africa players who had scored more runs at the same stage of their careers are Hashim Amla and Rassie van der Dussen.
Since Bavuma made his ODI debut, in September 2016, Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Faf du Plessis, Van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Amla and Heinrich Klaasen have scored between 2,787 and 137 runs more than Bavuma. They have also had between 55 and eight more innings than Bavuma.
Before the World Cup, Bavuma averaged 54.68 with a strike rate of 91.07. At the tournament he has an average of 20.71 and a strike rate of 75.12. As of Saturday, 78 of the 149 players who have batted at this World Cup have a better average than Bavuma. Ninety-one have a higher strike rate. Fifty-four have scored more runs than his 145 in seven innings.
Yet Bavuma’s only single-figure effort was his eight against Sri Lanka in Delhi. He has passed 20 three times and faced from five to 55 balls. He has played with authority and purpose every time he has come to the crease, but there is no column in the scorebook for looking good.
And still, despite the captain’s minimal contribution with the bat, his team have won seven of their nine games. Two of those victories, over England and Bangladesh, both at the Wankhede, were achieved under the leadership of Markram, who stood in while Bavuma was overcoming a stomach problem. But to hear Bavuma’s players talk about him is to know he is the leader of this pack.
“It was very unfortunate for Temba and we obviously missed him, his leadership on the field,” Markram said about Bavuma being forced out minutes before the toss for the game against England.
Bavuma’s contribution to his team transcends ordinary numerical value, a characteristic shared by numerous commanders, but particularly so among South Africans. Who else could come close to filling the position, devoting one ear to matters on the field, the other to leadership concerns, and a third, internal ear to the din emanating from distant and surrounding sources? Who would know which of those sounds warrants serious consideration and which should be disregarded? Who else could endure what Bavuma endures and score even the modest number of runs that he has scored during the World Cup?
Observing him compete against Afghanistan on Friday in Ahmedabad made one question whether or not that inner ear required adjustment. Despite suffering a hamstring strain after nine deliveries of the Afghans’ innings, he continued to play despite a substantial impairment in his running ability. His intended opening of the innings was a lamentable sight as he staggered between the wickets, coming perilously close to losing his footing twice with a dragging right leg. This occurred during a match that was inconsequential to South Africa’s standing in the tournament.
