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Bavuma calls for more hostile cricket

• The attacking mindset will challenge not just the Proteas’ players, but selectors as well

Stuart Hess

The Proteas’ new attacking mindset will challenge not just the players, but Victor Mpitsang and his selection panel too.

The players want the selectors’ backing that they will not simply get dropped when they make mistakes.

On the other hand, continued failure will not be tolerated.

Heinrich Klaasen, whose 80 almost propelled the Proteas to victory in the third ODI against England, and captain Temba Bavuma hoped there would be sufficient backing for the players, but he felt it would be unrealistic for players to assume support would be unwavering.

“International sport is ruthless. If as a player you are looking for security if you fail and someone to continue to back you — I’ve never felt that,” Bavuma said.

“I do know that within the team, if you are playing a certain way, guys are going to give you the rope you deserve.

“As captain that’s what I am looking at and Rob [Walter] as well.”

The Proteas delivered another encouraging performance with the bat, despite losing by 59 runs to England in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Bavuma said it was unrealistic to expect endless support from the selectors.

Klaasen said: “I don’t think everyone will be consistent, so that is why when it is your day you must take the team over the line.

“Hopefully we will get backing, because if we are going to play aggressively then obviously the consistency will be up and down. Some days it will look very bad and other days it will be great.

“That’s the big challenge for management and selectors if they want to keep consistency.

“To play the brand of cricket is not the issue; it’s, will you be dropped? Will you keep your position when you fail?”

Klaasen cited his own career as an example, claiming that on a 2018 tour to Sri Lanka, after playing two games, he fell down the pecking order.

“All the coaches wanted aggressive cricket. I didn’t come off in two games and was dropped and went back to seventh in the queue.

“It was tough for me to come back and play that positive brand of cricket. At that stage I just gave up.

“Then when I returned, I decided: ‘if this is my last tour, then it is my last tour and I will go out the way I want to go out’.

“Since then I’ve been playing good cricket. I take every series as my last.

“That seems to free me to play the game I want to play”.

Klaasen explained that the Proteas’ new mindset was not actually very new.

“With [Mark] Boucher it was the same; it’s coming from different voices now.

“It’s just that everyone now believes we can play with this gameplan.”

While Klaasen would appreciate more support, Bavuma reiterated that the selectors would not supply it endlessly.

The more assertive approach would continue to be backed from within the squad, he said.

SPORT

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2023-02-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

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