Temba Bavuma’s elbow injury won’t keep him out of the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June, but it did cause some drama at home. Bavuma was ruled out of the domestic first-class final this week, but the Lions team wasn’t informed on time — leaving their captain, Dominic Hendricks, in an awkward situation.
South Africa’s team management confirmed the 33-year-old experienced discomfort in his left elbow during a gym session. As a precaution, he was rested from the final against the Titans. Fortunately, he is expected to be fully fit for the WTC final against Australia at Lord’s from June 11 to 15.
Lions Left in the Dark
The real issue wasn’t the injury itself — it was the lack of communication. Lions captain Hendricks held a press conference on Wednesday morning, praising Bavuma’s leadership and experience, and expressing excitement about his presence in the team. At the time, Hendricks had no idea Bavuma had already informed head coach Russell Domingo about his unavailability on Tuesday.
However, Domingo is currently in Pakistan preparing to coach the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, which starts Friday. The Lions’ chief executive, Jono Leaf-Wright, was also away — returning from India late Wednesday night after a business trip.
As a result, the news of Bavuma’s injury only reached the Lions team on Wednesday afternoon, creating confusion. A brief mention in a press release stated, “Unfortunately Temba Bavuma is apparently facing another fitness situation and is highly unlikely to play.”
Temba Bavuma: Longstanding Injury
Temba Bavuma’s elbow issue has been recurring ever since he fractured it during a T20I against India in June 2022. He hasn’t played a domestic red-ball game since March 2024, making his return highly anticipated by the Lions.
Frustration Builds
Although the Lions haven’t publicly expressed their anger, the poor timing of the communication clearly caused frustration. The team was counting on Bavuma’s Test-level insights and leadership. To make matters worse, the final hadn’t even started by Thursday afternoon due to a wet outfield.
The Lions’ miscommunication may not affect the WTC final, but it has certainly stirred emotions in the domestic camp.
