'We understand the situation in South Africa, things are expensive' — Temba Bavuma defends sparse crowds

Zaahier Adams|Published 1 minute ago

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma says he understands why attendance was low during the opening Test against Australia at Kingsmead and hopes for improved support at St George's Park this week.

Only 4,108 spectators attended the first day of the Durban Test, with crowd numbers remaining modest throughout the five-day match despite it featuring two of the leading teams in world cricket.

The issue drew attention locally and internationally, with Australian spinner Nathan Lyon admitting he had expected a larger turnout.

"I was expecting more of a crowd, if I'm being honest with you," Lyon said after the third day.

"When you've got the Australian cricket team competing against South Africa in South Africa, No.1 and No. 2 going at it, I was expecting a bigger crowd."

The Australians were expecting a much bigger fallout upon their return to South Africa for the first time since 2018 when  the Newlands ball-tampering scandal created one of the most hostile series atmospheres in recent memory,

Instead, they played in front of largely empty stands as they took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

The attendance figures contrasted sharply with the more than 50,000 supporters who attended the MTN8 final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on the same weekend.

Numerous factors have been cited for the disappointing attendance at Kingsmead, including unrest in Durban's CBD during the Test, but the country's economic realities remain impossible to ignore.

Bavuma believes many South Africans simply cannot justify the expense.

"We saw that the stands were not full. We understand the situation in South Africa," the skipper said in his native isiXhosa before being translated.

"Things are expensive. The price of petrol, diesel and everything is up so it's not easy for people to dip into their pockets and pay for tickets."

The Proteas captain also acknowledged that players have a responsibility to produce performances that attract supporters to stadiums.

"We are hopeful that things will be different in Gqeberha and people will come," Bavuma said.

"It's also up to us as players when we get an opportunity to play as Proteas to play at a level that the people expect from us."

South Africa trail Australia 1-0 in the two-match series heading into the second and final Test at St George's Park.