Africa-Press – South-Africa. Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said his team wants to channel the positive energy generated by the success of the women’s national cricket team going into the Test series against the West Indies.
Sune Luus’s charges recovered from a shock opening T20 World Cup game loss to Sri Lank to bounce back and fight their way into Sunday’s final, which they lost by 19 runs to Australia at a packed Newlands.
They left the country brimming with pride despite defeat, with Bavuma saying the men’s Proteas team have every reason to take inspiration from the achievements of their compatriots.
The women’s team became the first senior Proteas team to qualify for an International Cricket Council tournament final, succeeding where the South African men’s teams have failed.
They also became the first South African team to qualify for a home play-off.
Bavuma, who has presided over two failed T20 World Cup campaigns and has since relinquished the T20 captaincy, hoped that the women’s team will get better care invested in the women’s game in the country.
“It was massive and not just for us, but for the nation,” Bavuma said.
“All the guys were watching the semi-final and the final, supporting the ladies, and I think for us as a team, we look for areas everywhere where we can get energy and draw inspiration from.
“I’m sure we’ll be using that energy going into our games because what the women’s team achieved was big, especially with their limited resources.
“I hope that with performances like this, there will be a lot more support and a lot more care that’ll be invested into the women’s team.”
The newly appointed Test captain’s first assignment is against the West Indies when they play the first of two Tests starting at SuperSport Park on Tuesday.
Bavuma missed the 2021 Test portion of the tour in West Indies due to injury, but he has seen enough of the Islanders to know where their strengths and weaknesses are.
“Looking at the West Indian team over the last while, they play old-fashioned cricket where the batters grind it out and the bowlers are looking to hit their areas,” he said.
“They’ve got guys who can stand up to the challenge. They have a guy like (captain Kraigg) Brathwaite, and we saw how he batted in Australia.
“We will have prepared well and as best as we can, as we would against any opposition. In their bowling attack, they have guys who can get the ball through, which is something you need when you play in South Africa.
“We’ll have our work cut out and we’ll be expecting their challenge.”
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