Bavuma is the townships’ hero

AN ENGLISH journalist turned and asked just how big Temba Bavuma’s maiden Test century was in terms of impact. Why was it deemed more important than Hashim Amla’s fourth double-century by some, and rated almost as powerful as Ben Stokes’ offering for England, in terms of social significance, at least?

Why did CNN, and AlJazeera, and the BBC all want a piece of a little man who had simply done what he is paid to do? Why the fuss? Why the fascination? Why is he different?

These are pertinent questions, ones which do not have straightforward answers.

But, before I could answer, Bavuma and, later, Amla provided far more eloquent explanations why, for a day at least, much of South Africa celebrated at Newlands as if they had squared the series.

Amla, one of the elder statesmen in the game, a man with 45 international tons and universal respect, said Bavuma’s offering had been inspiring for him because he knew precisely how hard it was to play under the microscope that came with being labelled a ‘player of colour’.

“Even if your numbers are good enough, you are still judged because of the colour of your skin,” Amla said.

Amla is not a man of many words, but when he does speak, it is refreshingly frank.

Yes, even he was viewed with reluctance back in the day, even though he was already head and shoulders above his peers domestically.

Of course, not even a sangoma can foresee how far an Amla, a Smith or a Bavuma can reach by the end of his career, but their cricketing journeys seem to start very differently.

While the stamp of approval is granted immediately to some, much like the international arrivals foyer, others are asked to step aside to be given a thorough – and very public – shakedown.

Bavuma is just embarking on that journey, but he has just bought himself a priceless piece of time that most young players need at the highest level. He has earned a visa, thanks to his ground-breaking knock at Newlands, which proved he has all the tools to not merely survive, but thrive in the company he now keeps.

But, as Bavuma acknowledged, the lot of a black batsman goes beyond cover drives or pulls. He is batting for more than averages and centuries.

His impact is best seen in the spike in viewership numbers during his innings.

Names such as his and Kagiso Rabada go into homes and hearts where no one else can, simply because they are confirmation that ‘it’ truly is possible. Langa took the glory, but every township in the country had a lump in its throat and a song in its heart on the afternoon of January 5 2016, because ‘one of us’ had taken what he had worked for, a chance, and was making the most of it.

The dream becomes more realistic when the example of excellence is closer to home, and Bavuma accepts that until his story is the norm, rather than the exception, the fuss will follow him.

It is also why he barely batted an eye-lid when Ben Stokes was giving him both barrels.

The cricket world bemoaned Stokes for his pottymouthed commentary, but the critique from a confusing Durham accent was nothing to Bavuma – he has been told all his life that he is not good enough, not big enough.

It started in the unfiltered arena of street cricket, ekasi, where ICC regulations are to bowlers what traffic lights are to taxi drivers. If you make it through that, you can make it through most things, because there is no review system, and everyone is a superstar in their minds.

Those ‘superstars’ will now pretend to be Bavuma when they bat, which is why his knock the other day came with such a clamour. It is the obligatory ‘good story to tell’.

Quota player? Perhaps, after serving his apprenticeship, like Amla, he can now also be “un-quota-ed”. After all, he now has a visa...