Bavuma doing his bit for township cricket
Temba launches foundation to refurbish ovals
Proteas batsman Temba Bavuma recently launched a foundation to unearth more black cricketers. He tells Daniel
Mothowagae his plans in this wide-ranging interview.
Q: What is the Temba Bavuma Foundation all about?
A: The foundation is still new. It was launched early this month in Soweto. The idea is to mentor, educate, coach and empower talented black cricketers. I joined forces with PPC (cement producing company) to refurbish cricket facilities.
We identified Hoernle Primary School in Rockville where the kids will now benefit from adequate facilities.
Q: Do you intend doing the same in other areas?
A: Yes, the plan is to take the project to other schools in the area. There’s no target per se but we plan to do as many schools as we can. PPC has already done some (refurbishment) work in Cape Town.
Q: What were the challenges during your amateur days?
A: I grew up playing cricket in Soweto [for the Soweto Cricket Club] and we didn’t have quality facilities.
Cricket is widely considered a white sport and expensive. For instance, my cricket bat costs about R10 000. A cheaper bat could break within two weeks. So it is easy getting involved (in development) from personal experience.
Q: Do you think corporates are doing enough to support cricket at grassroots level?
A: More can be done. We can only hope that this initiative pushes others to follow.
Q: Why has it taken so long for SA to produce a black African batsman for the senior team?
A: Like I said, it’s not easy to become a batsman compared to being a bowler. But I’m happy that a lot of African cricketers are coming through.
Q: How did it feel like scoring your first Test century?
A: It was one amazing achievement because it was my first milestone. It gave me confidence but I tried to move away from it as as quick as I could.
Q: Proteas’ tours mean long spells away from home. How do you keep in touch with your loved ones?
A: Thanks to Whatsapp and video calls, it makes things a lot easier. I mostly keep in touch with my sister and brother, my girlfriend and friends.
Q: What were you up to in the off-season?
A: It’s gonna be a long summer [tour of England from this month to August]. I try to be away from cricket to be fresh but I checked out the IPL
[Indian Premier League].
But most of the time I am always at home watching soccer, following my team Kaizer Chiefs.
Q: How do you deal with being off form?
A: For someone who is always under spotlight, I become honest to myself and speak to people around me if I don’t find answers to my problems.