Thando Ntini defends Temba Bavuma after CWC backlash
Thando Ntini has come out and defended Temba Bavuma who continues to face criticism for his 2023 CWC performance
Thando Ntini, son of former Proteas fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, has defended Temba Bavuma against criticism that the Proteas captain faced following a poor performance in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Bavuma was scrutinised after he averaged just 18 during the tournament, with some calling for him to step down as the team’s captain.
In an interview with The Load Shed podcast, Thando Ntini stated that the criticism directed towards Temba was unwarranted.
ALSO READ: Springboks alignment camp: Which team dominates the squad?
THANDO NTINI BATS FOR TEMBA BAVUMA
“The criticism he gets, is tough, like he is catching smoke for a team sport. I understand you are having a tough phase but no one speaks when you are doing well. They constantly speak when you are not doing well,” Nitini said.
He highlighted that Bavuma was the leading run-scorer for the past year and a half in white-ball cricket.
Thando Ntini said that it was easy for people to criticise others from the comfort of their homes.
He also questioned the justification of someone’s career based on one game or one series and considered it harsh to write someone off based on a single tournament.
ALSO READ: DSTV: Major sports channel now included in entry-level package
“It’s weird bro, you can have a great game, take wickets, score runs and everyone is talking nice about you but the next day you play a game and have a tough day in the office. Those same people who were saying all these nice things yesterday about how good you are will be the same people who will say ‘You’re bad, you don’t deserve to be there, you’re a quota.’
When asked why Bavuma played ahead of Reeza Hendricks, Ntini praised both players for their professionalism and stated that only the team knows the reason behind the decision.
BAVUMA BACKED BY PROTEAS LEGEND’S SON
The Dolphins fast bowler emphasised that both players are good enough to be there, and their long careers prove that they have been consistent.
“They are good enough to be there and it’s harsh to write someone off based on one tournament. You can’t crucify someone based on one bad tournament,” Ntini added.