Captains Bavuma and Cummins: A study in confidence and contrasts

In a country where Siya Kolisi leads a rugby team that has twice won the World Cup, Temba Bavuma cannot be the reference point for excellence even though he has two firsts to his name: no black player has led the South Africa men’s cricket team and before him, no one had broken into the playing 11 as a specialist batter. In a side that has Steve Smith and David Warner, Pat Cummins would not be the obvious choice as captain – never in 52 years of playing ODIs have Australia appointed a fast bowler as full-time leader. Yet, here they are likely to head out with teams for the first time in an ODI World Cup semi-final.

- Dhiman Sarkar

Once in the job, both have shown leadership skills. Appointed Test skipper because Tim Paine had resigned and named ODI captain because Warner was serving a leadership ban and Mitchell Marsh wanted to be among the rank and file, Cummins ensured that the 2023 Ashes would be remembered for cricket and not curmudgeonly behaviour, certainly not from his team. Cummins has spoken of cricket’s need to reduce carbon footprints and, in the context of this World Cup, why larger squads are a necessity when Marsh had to go home, Glenn Maxwell was injured and New Zealand were a team of walking wounded.

The way Bavuma defused what could have been a divisive situation in the wake of Quinton de Kock refusing to take a knee during the 2021 World T20 led to De Kock, also his opening partner, calling him a “flipping amazing leader.”

Both have played around the same number of Tests and not enough ODIs. Since his debut in October 2011, Cummins has played 86 including four this year before the World Cup. Only Kim Hughes, who had skippered in none, had led Australia to a World Cup with less experience. When Bavuma was appointed ODI captain in 2021, he had played six games. Thursday will be his 38th.