Bavuma suffers elbow injury as WTC final nears

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma. Pic/AFP

South Africa Test captain Temba Bavuma has sustained an elbow injury two months before the World Test Championship final.

Bavuma was expected to feature for the Lions against the Titans in the Cricket SA Four-Day Series first-class final, which began at the Wanderers on Thursday. But, he did not arrive in Johannesburg. The Lions found out late on Wednesday that Bavuma could not play the match because of the niggle, according to ESPNCricinfo report.

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Since the conclusion of the Champions Trophy, Bavuma has not participated in any competitive cricket. However, he was part of the Lions' squad for last week's match against the Knights in Bloemfontein, which was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Bavuma sustained a fractured left elbow in 2022, which led to his withdrawal from South Africa's tour to England that year and kept him sidelined for three months. He then re-injured the same elbow while completing a single against Ireland in an ODI in Abu Dhabi last year, causing him to miss South Africa's Test series against Bangladesh.

South Africa have just over eight weeks before the WTC final against Australia, which starts on June 11. They will not play any cricket before then, with several players involved at the IPL 2025 and others on the county circuit.

South Africa have qualified for the World Test Championship final for the time. Having played 12 Tests in the cycle, South Africa boast eight wins and a 69.44 point percentage.
IANS

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