South Africa will always be chokers: Temba Bavuma

Temba Bavuma and Anrich Nortje [Source: Associated Press]

A team that started off on the right footing made a humiliating exit from the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup 2022. After defeating India, South Africa were thought sure of reserving a place in the semis. The team topped the points table until they lost to Netherlands and Pakistan and lost all momentum in the tournament.

The Proteas captain Temba Bavuma expressed his disappointment in a recent statement. He talked of the tag that the South African team holds. For years, the Proteas held the label of being 'chokers', signifying the team's inability to push through pressure situations. 

What Temba Bavuma said 

"It [the chokers' tag] will always be there, until we find ourselves in a situation where we get to a final. But there's elements of learning we could take from it, especially the younger guys."

"For someone like (Tristan) Stubbs or Marco Jansen, it's for them not to make the same mistakes. Unfortunately, that tag, we are still going to carry that monkey on our backs."

The South African captain also talked about his future in the team as a leader, stating that he won't be taking an emotional stand on the matter. 

"It's been a tricky time. To be considering that now, a lot of it will be emotional, in terms of my role as captain within the team. It's something I will think about. I will speak to the relevant people. We have to see who comes in as a coach.”

With South Africa's loss to Netherlands, Pakistan wriggled its way into the semi-finals. They are to face New Zealand in the first semi-final of the tournament. While, India will face England in the second semi-final. 

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