Bavuma’s burden and the dearth of Black batsmen
LUNGANI ZAMA AS soon as he could walk, Temba Bavuma had a bat in his hand, getting balls thrown at him by his grandmother. Around him, he had uncles who played the game with passion and purpose, and they soon introduced the young boy to both the fundamentals and the complicated techniques a batsman must master to play cricket at a competitive level. Surrounded by encouragement and patience, it was inevitable that Bavuma, recently appointed captain of the South African men’s national team, would fall in love with the sound of bat on ball. “He’s always been determined,” says Tengo…