South Africa cricket captain Temba Bavuma has responded to a viral picture that appeared to show him sleeping during the ICC World Cup 2023 Captains' Day event. Bavuma, who was among the captains of the competing teams in the photo, dismissed claims that he was asleep, blaming the camera angle for the misleading image. Despite his denial, many fans remained unconvinced, with some even creating memes and poking fun at the skipper. This is not the first time Bavuma has sparked online discussion, as he previously found himself at the center of attention due to his significant height difference with teammate Marco Jansen during a test series against India in December 2021.
Camera angle to blame, says Bavuma
Responding to the viral picture, South Africa cricket captain Temba Bavuma took to social media to clarify the situation. He wrote, "I blame the camera angle, I was not asleep." Bavuma's statement came in response to fans on Twitter who believed that the South African skipper was asleep on stage during the Captains' Day event. Despite his denial, a wide group of fans remained unconvinced, with many stating that he appeared to be in a "relaxed" state during the meeting of captains.
Height difference memes from previous incident
This is not the first time Temba Bavuma has found himself at the center of memes and comical online discussions. During a test series against India in December 2021, Bavuma batted alongside teammate Marco Jansen, sparking hilarious reactions from fans. The massive 16-inch height difference between the 5ft 4in Bavuma and the 6ft 8in Jansen made for an amusing sight on the cricket field. TV camera operators struggled to capture them in the same shot, leading to humorous memes and comments from cricket enthusiasts.
Bavuma set to captain Proteas in World Cup
Despite the recent viral picture saga, Temba Bavuma is now preparing to lead the South African cricket team as captain in the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup. South Africa will begin their campaign against Sri Lanka on Sunday, October 7. The Captains' Day event, where the viral picture was taken, brought together all 10 captains from the participating teams.
