ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

November 5, 2021

Temba Bavuma

Sharjah Stadium

South Africa

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. Temba, if you take into consideration everything over the last year that you guys have gone through everything that has gone through getting this World Cup, would you say everything hinges on tomorrow and how you guys go, that everything is geared up to what you achieve tomorrow?

TEMBA BAVUMA: I think first of all, in the context of the event that we're at, tomorrow is obviously a big game. Some have even called it as almost our quarterfinal. So I think from that point of view and looking at our expectations as a team coming to this event, we want to play our best cricket tomorrow.

We obviously understand with Australia I think who are currently No. 2 in our group, with their superior run rate, there's not much I guess we can do from that point of view. I think the first point when we go out would be to win the game.

Obviously the team has gone through a lot over the last while, players, members of management, and I think we've learnt a lot about each other. We've grown a lot as a team in finding ways to get through all the tough times that we've gone through collectively.

Q. Just in terms of the -- we've seen a lot of energy from your side throughout this World Cup. What can we expect tomorrow in terms of leaving it all out there tomorrow again?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Yeah, it's actually that. I think every game we only speak about going out and fighting it out as a team. We don't leave it to individuals. We don't rely on individual brilliance to bring it home for the team, but it's all about us as a team giving everything that we want.

Tomorrow it won't be any different. We'll still be showing the same character, the same fight that we've shown while in this tournament.

Q. When you guys previously played in Sharjah against Sri Lanka, you nearly came unstuck. What did you guys learn from that match? And is there temptation against England because they've been going so well to kind of say we've got to come up with a really special plan here, we've got to come up with something special? Is that the wrong way to go? Do you feel you've just got to carry on doing what you've been doing well so far?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Yeah, I think every game we've kind of had a tailored strategy, you could say, according to the opposition that we're playing. So I think that approach, that's not going to change in terms of our preparation, our planning when it comes to England. We'll put together plans that speak to their strengths and their weaknesses.

I think mentally that's where I would say that things shouldn't be any different. Like I said, we'll still be putting in our spirited effort. We'll still be fighting to the end and playing as a team.

England is obviously a strong side. We've seen that not just in this tournament but over the years. As a team we'll know that we'll have to be at our best in all our departments.

Q. Just the learnings from the Sharjah game against Sri Lanka?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Oh, sorry. Yeah, the Sharjah game, look, we knew that the wicket would be on the low side. I guess having played with it, we really do know now. Like you said with the batting, we did take it quite deep, and I guess the learning from that is I guess maybe we'll have to pull the trigger a bit earlier, if I could say.

I mean, tomorrow we might come to Sharjah and it could be a good wicket. Traditionally Sharjah is known to be one of the better batting wickets with high scoring rates. I think for us it'll just be to -- old cliche, of adapting to the conditions and playing accordingly.

Q. Like the rainbow nation of South Africa we see so much diversity; how important is the Black Lives Matter campaign for South Africa? How important is that?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Yeah, look, it's obviously an important campaign, initiative that speaks to everyone, not just South Africans. Obviously South Africa, we're unique in the sense that we do have our past where a certain racial group was discriminated against. So an initiative like this, I guess it gives people the opportunity to pay their respects, to acknowledge things that we've gone through in the past, and also kind of, I guess, give us a perspective on how we can do things a bit better going forward as a nation.

I think the movement itself, it's been well supported internationally by people who have been affected and by people who maybe haven't been affected as badly. Yeah, I think it's been a nice initiative, but I'm sure probably in terms of how it translates to our everyday lives, that's probably where it really, really matters.

Q. I'm just interested in how you see your role as a batter. Your team keeps winning a lot of the time, and you're holding it together in the middle there. How do you see your role as a batter?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Yeah, look, I think just looking at the conditions, conditions haven't been -- it's not ones of free-flowing type of cricket where one can come in and first ball hitting up the middle type of thing. We've really, really had to craft as a batting unit. We've always spoken about being flexible as a batting team, as individuals, and looking at the players that we have in the team, I felt that I could do a role up front, but I could also do a role within the middle. We've had guy like Rassie go in earlier because we know Rassie; if he faces -- if he has the opportunity to face a considerable amount of balls, he's a guy that can really put a bowling attack under pressure. You have a guy like Reeza, as well, who's come off good recent form at the top of the order. So trying to utilise that form at its best.

For me it's just playing the conditions really. We know within our batting side we need someone to kind of hold things on one end to allow all our big hitters, if I could say, to get into the game.

But that's what we've seen has worked at this World Cup. That's not to say going forward that's going to be our strategy, but for now, that's what we feel is best, and we're going to back it.

Q. Is playing three spinners something that you guys are considering before tomorrow's game, or will you stick with the recipe that's worked thus far with regards to the bowling?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Yeah, I think that's something that's always in consideration. I think that decision though we'll only really be able to make while we're there in Sharjah. Like I said, even though Sharjah has played the way that it's played, it is traditionally known to be a good batting wicket, so we'll have to make that decision once we at least see the wicket tomorrow.

Q. I think before the last match you were asked what you wanted to improve the most, and you said fielding. What would you want to improve the most tomorrow?

TEMBA BAVUMA: I think tomorrow is just find a way to add an extra five per cent in all our departments. Like I said, coming up against England, we're going to have to be at our best. It'll just be us trying to find a way to up in every department.

I think the bowling has been really good. The fielding, as well, has been really good. The batting, as well. But let's just find a way to just improve in every department of our game.

Q. I just want to ask you, you obviously opened this press conference and mentioned the fact that you guys understand the situation with Australia. The situation outside your focus that is England, does that put added pressure on you guys as Temba Bavuma and your Proteas side going into tomorrow's side? Or is tomorrow's match just a normal cricket match for you? And can you just answer me, do you guys have any injury concerns heading into tomorrow's match?

TEMBA BAVUMA: Let me start with the last one. No, we don't have any injury concerns. As far as I know, everyone is fit and available for selection.

In terms of the game in itself, look, like I said, with England, it has been labeled as a quarterfinal for us. It's a must-win game. I think that's the main point. Irrespective of where Australia within the group, we want to win that game, and we'll be striving to do so.

What's happening with Australia, West Indies, I guess what helps us is that their game happens before our game, so we'll kind of get a better sense or understanding as to how we need to approach the England game. If Australia win, then it's going to come down to net run rate.

We'll have an opportunity, I guess, somewhere along our game to control our net run rate or alter our approach.

But I think the first point, without reading too much into everything else, is to win tomorrow's game, and then we can take it from there.