When South Africa’s assistant coach Enoch Nkwe decide to tender his resignation citing that his ideas were not being accepted and he felt out of place in the team meetings, one always thought what would the team’s limited-overs skipper Temba Bavuma had to say, not only because they are both Black Africans, but more because the latter played under the former’s coaching at the domestic level with Lions as well.
Breaking his silence over the matter, Bavuma said that he would definitely like to have chat with Knwe once he returns back and he did feel different about the assistant coach’s resignation.
"It does make me feel some type of way. I haven't had an opportunity to have a formal discussion with Enoch but probably when I get back to South Africa, I'd like to sit down with him and maybe unpack it a bit,” said the 31-year-old who is currently leading his side in Sri Lanka.
A Lions and Gauteng player himself, Bavuma said that if Nkwe’s arguments have merit in them, the team would discuss it. "I'd like to hear it from him. He is the subject here, at the end of the day. If there is merit (to Nkwe's assertions), as a member of the team, it's something I will take on board and have a discussion amongst the team,” said the skipper.
"In terms of understanding it a bit more, from Enoch's point of view, probably when I get back to South Africa and when things are toned down a bit with the schedule, I will have a conversation with him and see what comes of it,” he further added.
Nkwe, who was appointed head coach of the team after the 2019 World Cup, was relegated to the position of an assistant coach once Mark Boucher was appointed head coach by Graeme Smith. Bavuma said that it was a personal loss for him that someone like Nkwe had to leave. "For me, personally, he was a good sounding board, and a person who I used to test my ideas against," Bavuma said.
Nkwe had quit his role just ahead of the team’s departure for the Sri Lanka tour.