Former South Africa fast bowler Vernon Philander has backed Temba Bavuma to continue leading South Africa in ODIs, saying that the right-handed batter still has a couple of years left in him to be at the helm. Philander’s comments come after South Africa lost their 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final to New Zealand by 50 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium. South Africa were tasked with chasing down 363, and despite Bavuma’s 56, Rassie van der Dussen’s 69 and David Miller’s unbeaten hundred off 67 balls, they eventually made 312/9.
“I think he’s a fantastic leader. I think what he has done over the last 24 months is that he has started to win that change room over. I think he’s done phenomenally well in the Test match arena (where they will play the 2025 championship final) and I don’t think we play near enough ODI cricket to play judgement down on it.
“But if you look at his numbers, you look at his records in ODI cricket, I think he has been a wonderful player for South Africa. I think he has led from the front with the bat. Of course, that evening he just couldn’t get going, but they were heavily reliant on his form to get South Africa to where they are after this evening – obviously falling one hurdle short of another final.
“But I wouldn’t make a call too early. It’s still early days. I think Temba still has a couple of years left in him. I just think Cricket South Africa will need to have an overall look at the way they approach, the way they prepare (for ICC tournaments).
“And that starts from the top – from your coaches, from your video analysis: ‘What’s going to make my players more effective?’ and then you give the charge over to the captain and say ‘off you go’. So, I just think a lot more planning that needs to be taking place heading into these tournaments,” said Philander to ESPNCricinfo.
He also expressed surprise over South Africa playing just one specialist spinner in Keshav Maharaj, adding that left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi could have been a more useful than a fourth seamer on a flat pitch in Lahore.
“I do feel it’s a conversation that needs to happen at the top. I think we’ve got enough players playing in the IPL. They’ve got enough experience playing on these slower surfaces. So it is a conversation, and an open conversation. At the end of the day you also need to be honest sitting around the table when those kinds of chat do transpire.
“But I do feel, from a talent point of view, South Africa have got plenty. But it’s about making those right calls for the conditions at hand. I certainly feel we are not too far away from lifting silverware, but at the end of the day, those honest conversations will need to be had sooner or later. From a management point of view, for years we have stuck to our guns in terms of backing our seamers. But I think we need to go and reassess,” he concluded.
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