Australia first, says Bavuma, as Proteas turn one eye to World Cup

They can’t deny that they will already have one eye on the Cricket World Cup, with less than five weeks to the start of the global showpiece, but captain Temba Bavuma insists the Proteas remain focused on beating Australia on home soil before they turn their attention to the upcoming spectacle in India.

Following a convincing 3-0 defeat in the T20 series against the tourists last week, the Proteas will be eager to build some momentum in the five-match ODI series starting in Bloemfontein on Thursday.

And with any tension around the naming of the World Cup squad having dissipated, with head coach Rob Walter announcing a 15-man group on Tuesday, ODI captain Bavuma was confident they could bounce back with an experienced, well established collection of players.

He also felt it was important not to undervalue the home series against their perennial rivals.

‘Energy and pride’

“I know this series against Australia has been seen as a build-up for the World Cup, but I think it’s important we put it into context and give it the significance it deserves,” Bavuma said.

“Playing against Australia is not something that happens every day, and there’s a certain energy and pride that comes with this for us as players.

“So as much as we have the World Cup coming up in India, the important thing for us is to turn up for this Australia series.

“We must tick all the boxes that need to be ticked, overcome the challenges that come with playing against Australia in these conditions, and then we can look forward to the World Cup.”

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South Africa and Australia will play three ODI matches in Bloemfontein, starting on Thursday, before the series moves on to Centurion and Johannesburg next week.

The Proteas will play their first World Cup match – a round robin clash against Sri Lanka – in Delhi on 7 October.