He was part of the recent England tour.
The World Test champions South Africa are scheduled to tour Pakistan for an all-format assignment next month but captain Temba Bavuma might not be available. The Proteas will play two Tests, followed by three T20Is and three ODIs on the tour.
Bavuma, however, is unlikely to be there for the Test series, which begins on October 12.
Bavuma is likely to miss the two Tests against Pakistan due to an injury he suffered recently on the England tour. He sustained a calf strain while fielding in the third ODI, and did not bat in the second innings.
The extent of the injury has now been assessed, with grade 2 tier confirmed. As per the reports, Bavuma needs a minimum of four weeks to fully recover. With the Pakistan Test series starting in less than a month, Bavuma’s participation in it seems uncertain.
The 35-year old has had a tough time with injuries in recent times. He had a hamstring injury in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 against Australia. He made a fighting 66 in that game as his team broke the ICC trophy jinx.
Later in July, Bavuma missed the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. He returned to action on the tour of Australia, where he was rested in the second to manage his workload.
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If the captain misses the Pakistan Tests, it would be a major blow to the Test champions. Bavuma has been one of the best batters for them in recent years.
Since the start of 2022, Bavuma is the leading run-scorer for South Africa in the longer format. He has amassed 1,524 runs at an average of 49.16. Bavuma has registered three centuries and nine half centuries in Tests in this period.
The Proteas will kick off the WTC 2025-27 cycle with this series and would want to get a good start to their title defence. But it could be a tough task in Pakistan if Bavuma does not recover in time. Even more so, considering the spin-friendly pitches Pakistan have served in recent times.
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