Temba Bavuma and South Africa ready to get back into Test 'philosophy' against West Indies
Temba Bavuma
Captain Temba Bavuma wants South Africa to hit the ground the running in the Test series against the West Indies next month despite a lack of red-ball cricket recently.
Bavuma and his charges travel to the Caribbean to take on the Windies in two Test matches, in Trinidad from 7 August and then in Guyana from 15 August.
The Proteas last played a Test series in New Zealand in February but that was without their first-choice players that were taking part in the domestic SA20 tournament.
Some members of the squad had a week-long red-ball camp in Durban ahead of their departure to the Caribbean and reminded themselves of how they want to go about being successful in the longest format.
Bavuma said: "It's a challenge that's not necessarily unique to us and probably something that all the teams outside the big three face. It feels like we're starting again and again as a team.
"You can hear in terms of the conversations, there's a lot of reminding ourselves of a philosophy, how we want to play and basically what our blueprint is to winning.
"It's nothing that is unique to us as a South African team. The challenge is we've just got to make it work with what we have.
"We don't use it as an excuse. I think there's definitely a lot of excitement from the guys and we'd like to focus on that excitement more than all the other uncontrollables."
The Proteas will now have a run of eight Test matches between August and January with the tour to West Indies followed by a series in Bangladesh and then playing Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home.
Bavuma has lost fast bowler Gerald Coetzee for the West Indies tour due to a side strain while fellow paceman Marco Jansen is being rested for the series.
Uncapped seamer Migael Pretorius has been added to squad having had a stint with English county side Somerset.
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"Obviously, it's a setback," Bavuma said of Coetzee's injury. "We build our bowling attack on our fast bowlers.
"We'll still find a way to be effective in those conditions. Guys like KG (Kagiso Rabada), Lungi (Ngidi) and Nandre Burger - it's a massive opportunity for them again to put up their hands and lead that bowling attack.
"Looking at the inexperience and all the new faces that we find within the team, it'll be a good test for the team and for those younger guys to kind of stamp their authority on international cricket."