'A lot of meat and brandy' in Langa has Proteas captain Temba Bavuma refreshed and ready

After enjoying the festive season back home in Langa, Proteas captain Temba Bavuma is preparing for a hectic international year ahead. 

The Proteas Test and ODI skipper was not part of the Betway SA20 and was able to spend quality time with his family and friends, while he was actively involved in a few social upliftment programmes through his Temba Bavuma Foundation too. He also received the City of Cape Town’s prestigious Civic Honour Roll scroll from Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis last week.

With the Proteas T20 side preparing for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starting this week in India and Sri Lanka, Bavuma can now pour his energies into fixing his body that took plenty of strain last year. 

Bavuma battled an elbow injury leading into the World Test Championship final where he led the Proteas to glory, but then picked up a hamstring injury whilst batting in the second innings which ruled him out of the subsequent tours to Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

He returned to heroically lead the Proteas to a 2-0 clean sweep of India — the visitors’ first Test series win in India since 2000 — and played his last game on December 6, the third ODI in Visakhapatnam.

“My first Christmas with the full family since 2008, when I started being a professional cricketer. That was quite nice, being in Langa, being part of everything that comes with being TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment), boys coming back from the bush and all of that. So, that was quite fun. A lot of meat, a lot of brandy went down,” Bavuma told SuperSport at the Proteas’ Pink Day.

“Now I'm back, getting back into the thick of things. Back into the gym. I'm trying to get strong, managing myself as best as I can.

“You know, nowadays things are a bit different, you know. There's all these bigger plans and you know, we have the 2027 Cricket World Cup. And I guess the guys are still showing faith in me in terms of my management. It's around that and being selective in terms of the games that I'm involved in.” 

With the focus on trying to manage Bavuma through to next year's World Cup in South Africa — he will be 37-year old by then — the skipper will not form part of the Lions’ domestic first-class campaign, but will return for the 1-Day Cup later this month.

“Sometimes a bit of an unfashionable decision. You know, some people aren't happy with it. Sometimes I think, you know, as long as there's cricket logic behind the decision, so I'll be joining with the Lions guys in the 50-over comp.

"You know, they are busy with the 4-day stuff. They're well on their way. But I'll be supporting the guys from where I am,” he said. 

With the World Test Champions not having played a single Test match at home since being crowned at Lord’s last year, Bavuma is looking forward to taking on the arch-enemy Australia and England on home soil this year. 

“It's a big year. I mean, Australia, England, you know, just to name those two guys. We'll have some local cricket as well. We missed out on that last year,” Bavuma said. “And I think thinking about the Australia one, it will be the first opportunity that us as champions will be playing here at home.

"So, I think that's an opportunity for the people to come and I guess relive that moment, you know, whatever it means at this point in time. And it's obviously a quest for us to get back into that World Test Championship and hopefully have an opportunity to defend that.”