ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: South Africa Temba Bavuma to miss warm-up matches

Karan is a passionate cricket writer with a sharp eye for the game’s nuances.

Published at :September 28, 2023 at 4:50 PM

Modified at :September 28, 2023 at 4:50 PM

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: South Africa Temba Bavuma to miss warm-up matches

Temba Bavuma to lead South Africa in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

The start of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is just a week away. All the participating teams have started reaching India for their final preparations. The tournament will kick off on October 5 with a game between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. All ten teams will play one game each against nine opponents in the group stage, and the top four will qualify for the semi-finals.

There will be a total of 48 games, including the finals on November 19. However, ahead of the start of the mega event, all teams will play warm-up games. Every team will play two warm-up games each, and the warm-up matches will start on September 29. South Africa, who are among the favourites to win the tournament, will play their first warm-up game against Afghanistan on Friday.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: South Africa's skipper Temba Bavuma will miss both warm-up matches

South African captain Temba Bavuma had to fly back home due to family reasons, and he will not take part in the warm-up games for his team. Proteas are scheduled to play warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand on September 29 and October 2. Both matches will be played in Trivandrum. However, according to the reports, Bavuma will be available for South Africa's opening game in the tournament.

South Africa will start their campaign of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on October 7 against Sri Lanka. In Bavuma's absence, Aiden Markram will be leading the side in the warm-up matches, while Reeza Hendricks will open for his team. Bavuma scored a brilliant 114 in the first ODI against Australia but had a niggle.

However, he played the next two games before suffering a hamstring injury. But he will be back for the opening game for his team. On the other hand, South Africa already suffered massive blows when Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala were ruled out of the tournament due to injuries. Kagiso Rabada will be leading the pace attack for his team in the coming event.

Karan Rawat

Karan Rawat is a seasoned cricket writer with a deep passion for the game and over 5 years of experience covering everything that the game can offer. He loves to share the analysis, match reports, and player profiles and tries to bring stories to life with a unique blend of statistics and storytelling. Whether breaking down Test match tactics or capturing the drama of a T20 thriller, Karan's work connects fans with the soul of the sport.