South Africa is revamped in anticipation of a successful Conrad-Bavuma term
A new era for South Africa’s Test squad may begin with the next series against the West Indies, which gets underway at SuperSport Park on Tuesday. Temba Bavuma, the first Black African to captain the Test team, was named the new captain by Shukri Conrad, the team’s new coach, who also sacked numerous players who had performed poorly in losing series in England and Australia. Temba Bavuma has already established his power in the squad. In a South African season that has been dominated by Twenty20 cricket, there hasn’t been much build-up for the Test series.
Shukri Conrad will lead the hosts as red-ball coach for the two-game series, the home team’s penultimate task in their 2021-2023 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, while Temba Bavuma will assume the captain’s role for the first time. Although no longer in the running to go to the June final, the Proteas sit fourth in those standings after spending the majority of the campaign in the top three. But, they still have a lot to look forward to with a strong team for the series and a new management group. The only two Tests planned for the South African summer are the two games against the West Indies after Cricket South Africa decided to give the SA20 priority.
After the defeat at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, South Africa has won 20 and lost only two of their last 29 Tests against the West Indies. The West Indies are making their first trip to South Africa since 2014–15 on this current tour. The visitors led by Kraigg Brathwaite arrived following a series in Zimbabwe in which the first Test was tied and the second was won by West Indies by an innings, with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie producing match statistics of 13 for 99. Even though South Africa’s batting has been shaky in previous series, Motie, 27, who was playing in his third Test match, is unlikely to find the circumstances advantageous in any site. It will be crucial for the West Indies opening duo of Brathwaite and Tagenerine Chanderpaul to succeed against the anticipated pace pack, which is likely to include Gerald Coetzee, a 22-year-old tearaway.
Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma (C), Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Senuran Muthusamy, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer/Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Gerald Coetzee make up the South Africa Possible XI. In addition, the West Indies’ likely starting lineup includes Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Shannon Gabriel, and Kemar Roach. Joshua da Silva, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Raymon Reifer, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, and Raymon Reifer.
According to Bavuma, the West Indies will continue to pose a serious challenge for the Proteas despite never having won a series in South Africa and having only once defeated the country in 2007. The skipper said, “Looking at the West Indies recently, they play traditional cricket.” The bowlers look to hit their areas outside that off stump while the batters grind it out. They have men who can handle the challenge, and Kraigg Brathwaite is doing a good job of leading them.
