ABU DHABI: South Africa captain Temba Bav­uma will miss the third and final One-day Intern­ational against Ireland in Abu Dhabi on Monday and is a doubt to lead the Test team on a two-match tour of Bangladesh that starts on Oct 21.

Bavuma sustained a soft tissue injury in his arm after diving for the crease while batting in South Africa’s 174-run victory in the second ODI on Friday, the same injury that kept him sidelined for a lengthy period two years ago.

Opener Reeza Hend­ricks will take his place in the squad for the final match in the series with South Africa holding an unassailable 2-0 lead. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder has returned home for personal reasons.

“Bavuma will return home with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and will consult a specialist. An update on the extent of his injury will be provided in due course,” Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Sunday.

Bavuma is a key part of the Test batting line-up and his absence for what is likely to be a challenging series in Bangladesh would be a massive blow to the side.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2024