Temba Bavuma, the captain of South Africa, will not play in the second Test match against Bangladesh in Chattogram, which begins on Tuesday, October 29. He is still recovering from an elbow injury that kept him out of the first game in Dhaka. In Bavuma’s absence, Aiden Markram, who guided South Africa to victory in the opening Test, will continue to captain the squad.
Since injuring his elbow during an ODI match against Ireland earlier this month, the 34-year-old has not participated in any games. Interestingly, the cricket player chose hyperbaric treatment over surgery after breaking his elbow in 2022. This time, he has soft tissue damage and is almost ready to return, but the medical staff has not given the go-ahead.
In order to prepare him for the Sri Lankan series, we will scale back the rehabilitation program since we believe he won’t be medically prepared for the second Test. Yes, it is a setback because he is our best Test hitter. However, cited head coach Shukri Conrad as saying, “We’ve shown that we can handle setbacks, and we’ll deal with that as well.”
Do not wish for Temba Bavuma to go back home: Conrad
Conrad, meanwhile, is uncertain if Bavuma, who was disqualified from the second Test, would go back to South Africa. Given that the batter has a young family, the 57-year-old continued by saying that he has requested the Proteas skipper to stay with the squad because he is the leader but will understand if he returns.
Temba and the manager [Khomotso Volvo Masubelele] have the authority to do that. I have expressed to him my desire for him to remain. It’s still his squad, and he still contributes significantly. However, Conrad added, “I am also aware that he has a young family.”
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In the meantime, South Africa won the first Test match against Bangladesh by seven wickets. The hosts are keen to mount a great comeback, particularly at home, but they will want to maintain the momentum.