The double standards at play when Proteas fans talk about Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma is simply astounding.
Anybody who follows South African cricket knows that if Test skipper Bavuma goes for more than a game or two without a big contribution, the social media warriors come out in full force, calling for his immediate axing.
Yet, Markram in comparison seldom faces anywhere kind of the same furore over his below-par performances.
Over the last four years in Test cricket, Markram has averaged 28 (2024), 56 (2023), 15 (2022) and 34 (2021). Over the same period, Bavuma has averaged 43 (2024), 50 (2023), 40 (2022) and 53 (2021).
No consistency
If you go further back, Markram’s averages each year show significant rises and falls. Not counting 2020 when Markram played one Test, he averaged 28 in 2019, 33 in 2018 and 95 in the first three Test matches of his career in 2017.
Back to this year though, Markram began the year in fine style with a century in the New Year’s Test against India in Cape Town. Since then though, he has made just one 50 and two scores in the 30s as his next highest scores.
Markram was also out for just nine in the third over in the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka on day one in Durban on Wednesday. It has to be said though, conditions were almost completely in favour of the bowlers at an overcast and damp Kingsmead when only 20.4 overs were possible due to the bad weather.
In contrast, Bavuma returning to the side from injury came to the crease just two balls after the dismissal of Markram.
The 34-year-old Bavuma, to his credit, was able to tough it out in the poor conditions before play was cut short on the cusp of lunch. The wickets continued to tumble around Bavuma, but he remained resolute, like he usually does, when the SA batsmen struggle and was able to help steer the Proteas to a score of 191.
Bavuma top scored with 70, and should have probably made many more before he played a rash shot to signal the end of his knock. But when the next best score was 24 from tailender Keshav Maharaj, Bavuma could hardly be faulted.
At the moment, Bavuma is not part of the Proteas T20 International (T20I) squad as his last game in the shortest format for South Africa came in September 2023. In his last T20I 20 innings, Bavuma had averaged just 19.
Markram, in 2024 has averaged 15 in 18 T20I matches. That included a score of four in the T20 World Cup final as captain which South Africa lost to India.
It’s clear to see then that you could make all the arguments for Markram as to why he doesn’t face the same hate as Bavuma, but they will likely not be cricketing ones.