South African skipper Temba Bavuma’s poor form throughout the ICC World Cup 2023 has persisted into the semi-finals against Australia. Bavuma was dismissed for a duck by left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, marking his eighth failure in the tournament.
Following Bavuma's dismissal, the team couldn’t settle, and soon after, Quinton de Kock, Rassie Van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, and Aiden Markram were also sent back to the pavilion.
Bavuma, in fact, has failed to score in any match of the World Cup, proving to be South Africa's biggest liability thus far.
Temba Bavuma contribution for South Africa throughout the ODI world cup 2023 😂#SAvsAUS #Bavuma #Chokers #Proteas pic.twitter.com/HEXXvqJNtr
— Ashutosh Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@sri_ashutosh08) November 16, 2023
Although Bavuma might have struggled to find rhythm with the bat, he boasts a decent record as captain.
Since assuming the captaincy of South Africa’s ODI team in 2021, Bavuma has led the Proteas in 17 matches, securing victories in 9 and facing 7 defeats. His win percentage in ODIs stands at 56.25%.
In T20Is, Bavuma has recorded victories in 15 out of 25 matches while suffering 9 losses.
Furthermore, Bavuma holds the distinction of being the first black captain in South Africa to lead the SA team to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
However, the endeavor to shed the ‘chokers’ label might endure a bit longer, given South Africa's current struggle against Australia in the semi-final.