Temba Bavuma – India TV

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma highlighted the distinction between the Champions Trophy and ODI World Cup, emphasizing that the format of the eight-nation is more challenging. With teams divided into two groups, every match holds significant importance, and a single loss can be detrimental to a team’s campaign. In contrast, the ODI World Cup allows teams to play nine matches in the league stage, providing ample opportunity for a comeback even if a team start poorly.

“In the World Cup, you have time to take stock and step up. But in the Champions Trophy you can’t do that but we are hopeful of going one step further in the tournament. Obviously, we have our sights on where we want to be in the Champions Trophy this time but the format makes it more challenging for teams when you look at the 50-over World Cup,” Bavuma told a media conference.

Notably, South Africa lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens, while they qualified for the T20 World Cup final in Barbados but suffered a defeat against India. The team is focused on going the distance this time around but several of their key players, including Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee are currently injured and will miss the marquee tournament. 

A few of them will miss the tri-series against New Zealand and Pakistan. They were involved in the third edition of the SA20 and will join the team directly for the Champions Trophy. South Africa named six uncapped players for the tournament and speaking on that, Bavuma noted that it’s a good opportunity for the domestic cricketers to prove their value in international cricket. 

“It is a lovely opportunity for a couple of guys who have been doing well in domestic cricket and in T20 leagues to make a statement on what value they can add to the team. The tri-series will give us a chance to acclimatise to playing in Pakistan and get knowledge to share it with a wider group and it is also an opportunity for young players to keep on playing in future,” he said.