Temba Bavuma sustains elbow injury two months ahead of WTC final against Australia
Bavuma is yet to play any form of competitive cricket since the completion of South Africa's campaign at the recent Champions Trophy.
Temba Bavuma sustained an elbow injury due to which he will end up missing featuring for Lions in the final of the CSA 4-Day Series Division 1 tournament, which is scheduled to commence on Thursday, April 10. More importantly, this injury comes at a crucial juncture with the final of the 2023-25 cycle of the World Test Championship just a couple of months away.
The South African Test skipper was due to link up with the Lions on Tuesday, April 8. However, he never made his way from Cape Town to Johannesburg. The Lions setup discovered about Bavuma's injury only recently on Wednesday, April 9.
As understood by ESPNcricinfo, skipper of Lions, Dominic Hendricks, was quite eager on playing along with Bavuma in the all-important clash. Notably, Bavuma had fractured his left elbow in 2022. The injury forced him to be sidelined from South Africa's tour of England. That particular injury had sidelined him for a period of three months.
In an ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi last year, Bavuma ended up reinjuring himself on the same elbow after falling awkwardly in a bid to complete a single. His elbow has been heavily strapped in the recent past throughout the season.
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South Africa are slated to take on Australia in the final of the WTC at Lord's in June. They have just over eight weeks before the summit clash commences. There are plans of them playing practice matches from mid-May, including a game against an undecided international opposition in England. Most of their players from the Test squad are currently involved in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Bavuma was recently named on Cricket South Africa's central contract list in the recent past. As far his Test form is concerned, he has registered three half-centuries and two tons in his past seven Test innings. The Proteas would be eager to have him fit and ready to go for their game against Australia from June 11.
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