The T20 World Cup is two weeks away and the Proteas are sitting with a moerse conundrum.
What to do with captain Temba Bavuma?
The skipper is in a rut, out of form and rattled after being snubbed for next year’s SA20.
After two ducks and just three runs in the recent three-match T20 series against India – South Africa’s last matches before heading to the global showpiece Down Under – it looks like he has run out of time to be ready.
His form has dipped alarmingly after missing the tour of England with an elbow injury.
So what do you do?
The Proteas have a handful of options. Let’s look at them.
Pray and wait
With only two more ODIs before the span fly out of India to Australia, Temba has to find some confidence at the crease.
Although it’s not the same format, any sort of belief can turn things around for the opening batsman.
It’s make or break now.
If he doesn’t fire, they will have to hide him, either down the order or play him in the group games and hope he can work things out.
This format is so often about just making a contribution.
We don’t need hundreds, we need you to play your role.
He can still do that – arresting collapses could be a key role to play in this team. His stats show that he is more effective at No.3 or four in the order.
Not too long ago, Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw were also concerns. Things can really change with a swing of the bat.
And no one will be complaining if Bavuma comes good at the World Cup.
Take one for the team
Temba could throw in the towel and withdraw from the squad.
His form is shot and after the painful omission from the SA20, he is clearly not in a good place mentally.
Perhaps he should look at himself in the mirror and realise he can fight another day.
Maybe he should show the leadership he has been entrusted with by making a call and saying that he is not up to it at present.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that his form has been a problem for the team at the top of the order.
That has exposed him to some ugly criticism.
And while he may want to prove the haters wrong with alles inside of him, the team comes first.
Cut your losses
If Temba is still sukkelling as the team heads Down Under and doesn’t step down, the Proteas management will have to take the decision upon themselves.
They are after all the people who pick him.
I understand that it’s important to back the skipper and show faith in their processes. But the team comes first.
They have options.
In Reeza Hendricks, the Proteas have a replacement who was in record-breaking form during Bavuma’s injury-enforced absence.
And many would argue that that’s a good enough reason to make the change at the top of the order.
They also have a great alternative skipper in Keshav Maharaj, who is a staatmaaker with the ball and lower down the order with the bat.
Knowing that there isn’t a struggling batsman at the top of the order will boost the confidence of the entire team.
And if SA need a steady batsman to anchor the innings from outside of the current squad, Rassie van der Dussen is the perfect player to fill in for out-of-form Bavuma.
Squad readiness
I wish Bavuma was the only problem we have ahead of the World Cup.
In India, far too many manne were exposed and not on top of the game.
It was a massive boost to see David Miller, De Kock and Rossouw come good.
Miller was magnificent in the second T20 to drag the Proteas into a fighting position with his knock.
In their unbeaten 174-run fourth-wicket partnership, De Kock had to go through the gears to reach his 69.
Meanwhile, Rossouw scored his hundred in what was effectively a dead rubber in the third against a weakened India side.
We also weren’t great with the ball, especially our pace attack.
And the death-bowling plan looks lazy.
In the final T20, they just tried to bowl as wide as they could with some pace variation in the hopes of gobbling up catches on the ropes – basically the plan is six or out.
That’s not good enough to win a World Cup, gents.
We need a regte plan and consistency to challenge for the big prize.
matthew.marcus@inl.co.za