By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Proteas have been dealt a blow ahead of the first One-Day International against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates, with captain, Temba Bavuma, ruled out of the historic match in Sharjah.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Bavuma has been ruled out, however, they did not specify whether or not the player was injured or ill.
Aiden Markram, the regular slipper in T20 International cricket will take over the captaincy from Bavuma for at least the first ODI on Wednesday.
The Proteas and Afghanistan will be playing in a bilateral series for the first time, however, the series has been shrouded in controversy due to Afghanistan not having a women’s cricket team since the Taliban took control of the country back in 2021.
Chief executive Pholetsi Moseki has explained CSA’s decision to send the Proteas to Sharjah to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
Cricket Australia has refused to play Afghanistan outside of ICC events as the Taliban-run country will not allow women to play sport, but CSA has taken a different approach to the issue.
“It’s a very complex thing, that’s why we have decided to align with the majority of the ICC members in showing solidarity to Afghanistan, their players and the cricket board, “Moseki said.
All of us discuss the Afghanistan matter at every single ICC meeting and it will probably come up again at next month’s meeting. It’s something that concerns all of us, but we do understand that penalising the Afghanistan Cricket Board and their players may not necessarily be the best way to go about it.
“Our position is whether it’s fair to punish Afghanistan cricket, who had given 25 women’s contracts before the United States handed the rule of Afghanistan back to the Taliban.