Proteas captain Temba Bavuma ready for ‘favourites’ West Indies in T20 series

Proteas limited-overs captain Temba Bavuma says the five-match T20 series against West Indies, starting on Saturday, 26 June, will be a good test of where his team is at in the shortest format.

The first delivery is due to be bowled at 20:00 SA time.

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The Windies, who are two-time T20 World Cup winners, have selected a powerful line-up with plenty of experienced players that are household names in T20 leagues around the world.

The likes off captain Keiron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell will all be in the Carribean side as both teams use the five matches to gear up for the T20 World Cup later this year.

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Temba Bavuma told reporters in a virtual press-conference on Friday: “We have an opportunity to test ourselves against a strong outfit.

“The West Indies are an obvious favourite when it comes to the T20 World Cup. It will really show us where we stand with our game.”

The Proteas have already wrapped up a 2-0 clean sweep in the recently completed Test series in the Carribean and Bavuma is hoping the winning culture continues in the white-ball format.

Test skipper Dean Elgar said that he hoped he could create a winning environment not just for the longest form of the game.

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Temba Bavuma, who is now fit after missing the Test series due to injury, added: “The Test series obviously went exceptionally well. I think some of the outcomes and confidence from that series will be the confidence the guys will have.

“As much as it’s a different format, there are quite a number of those Test guys are involved in the T20s, so I think it is oniy natural that we will carry that confidence into the T20 series.

“I think the ‘language’, the culture is the same. Dean and I have been in various discussions about where we would like to take the team forward. That started in the series against Pakistan and it showed how its bored fruits in the Test series.

“That same culture, that same language, we will be looking to carry that through the T20 series. It’s only natural that it will continue like it is.”

Proteas T20 squad to face the West Indies:

Temba Bavuma (captain, Central Gauteng Lions), Quinton de Kock (Northerns), Bjorn Fortuin (Central Gauteng Lions), Beuran Hendricks (Western Province), Reeza Hendricks (Central Gauteng Lions), Heinrich Klaasen (Northerns), George Linde (Western Province), Sisanda Magala (Central Gauteng Lions), Janneman Malan (Boland), Aiden Markram (Northerns), David Miller (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal), Wiaan Mulder (Central Gauteng Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Northerns), Anrich Nortje (Eastern Province), Andile Phehlukwayo (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal), Kagiso Rabada (Central Gauteng Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Northerns), Rassie van der Dussen (Central Gauteng Lions), Kyle Verreynne (Western Province), Lizaad Williams (Northerns)