Champions Trophy: Temba Bavuma issues bold statement ahead of Afghanistan clash

KARACHI: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has made a bold statement ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy opener against Afghanistan, scheduled in Karachi on Friday.

After arriving early in Pakistan for the tri-nation series, South Africa had game time to integrate into the conditions in the series mentioned above.

Addressing the media in a pre-match presser, Bavuma cleared that his team is well-focused and does not carry any past baggage.

“There’s no real negativity or baggage among the guys; we’re coming into this tournament with a lot of positivity and confidence in our ability to go far, said the skipper.

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With the tournament format too competitive, Bavuma highlighted the importance of giving every game equal importance.

“Our mindset is to make sure we pitch up and play our best game of cricket. Hopefully, we’re playing five games and not three in this tournament. Most importantly, we need to win the moments that matter,” he remarked.

Spin-heavy Afghanistan, which will start its inaugural campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy, is expected to give Proteas a tough time.

Temba Bavuma admitted to Afghanistan’s competitiveness, recalling their victory over South Africa in Sharjah last year.

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“They’re a highly competitive team with a lot of experience and international pedigree. They won’t be short of confidence coming into this game, said Bavuma.

The right-hander batter stated that he had not looked at the pitch but emphasized that Karachi pitches favour the batters.

However, he further emphasized the need for his bowling unit to remain disciplined and precise to counter the high-scoring trend.

“Our challenge as a bowling unit is to be one of the more disciplined and precise bowling units,” Bavuma said.

South Africa will look to start their campaign on a strong note against Afghanistan after a dismal performance in the tri-nation series.

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