South Africa captain Temba Bavuma spoke about head coach Shukri Conrad’s “growl” comment after the second and final Test against Team India in Guwahati on Wednesday, November 26. Bavuma also recalled Jasprit Bumrah’s earlier “dwarf” jibe about his height during the first Test in Kolkata.
Conrad faced criticism from many former Indian players. The head coach said he wanted India to “really groan” after keeping them on the field for hours. Anil Kumble, Cheteshwar Pujara and Aakash Chopra said it was unnecessary and disappointing considering the historical significance attached to the term.
Temba Bavuma distances himself from Shukri Conrad’s “growl” comment
Speaking after the match, Temba Bavuma distanced himself from Shukri Conrad’s “growl” comment and said he had only heard the comment that morning. Bavuma said he had not discussed it with Conrad and that the coach would review his words.
“The comments made by the coach came to me this morning. I was focused on the game and I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. Shukri is close to 60 years old and will take a look at his comments,” Bavuma said when asked about that comment in the post-match press conference.
Why does “grovel” remain a sensitive word in cricket?
The term “grovel” has a sensitive and controversial history in cricket. It was used in 1976, when England captain Tony Greig stated that he intended to “grove” the West Indies before a home series. This comment angered Clive Lloyd’s side, who responded with a brutal display.
West Indies defeated England 3–0. Viv Richards scored an extraordinary 829 runs, while Michael Holding took 28 wickets. Greig was heavily criticized for his comments, lost respect in the cricket world and played only a few more Tests before losing the captaincy.
Shukri Conrad had used the same word during the second test against India. He made this comment after the fourth day, when his team was on the verge of achieving a rare series win on Indian soil.
South Africa eventually took a 2-0 lead after a massive 408-run win in Guwahati. This was their first Test series win in India in 25 years. The Proteas won the series opener in Kolkata by 30 runs.
Temba Bavuma recalls Jasprit Bumrah’s “dwarf” taunt after series win
Temba Bavuma also pointed out that verbal exchanges in the series went in both directions. He recalled Jasprit Bumrah’s earlier “dwarf” jibe about his height during the first Test in Kolkata.
Bavuma said, “But in this series some people have also crossed the limits. I am not saying that the coach has crossed the limits, but he will definitely think about it.”
During the opening Test in Kolkata, a stump-mic recorded a comment by Jasprit Bumrah about Temba Bavuma’s height. The fast bowler was heard saying to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant during the LBW appeal, “There is a dwarf too”. A Hindi phrase describing someone as small or dwarf has been criticized.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Marco Jansen takes extraordinary catch to dismiss Mohammed Siraj and humiliate India in Guwahati Test
Temba Bavuma links Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘dwarf’ comment to ongoing ‘grovel’ controversy
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma spoke about head coach Shukri Conrad’s “growl” comment after the second and final Test against Team India in Guwahati on Wednesday, November 26. Bavuma also recalled Jasprit Bumrah’s earlier “dwarf” jibe about his height during the first Test in Kolkata.
Conrad faced criticism from many former Indian players. The head coach said he wanted India to “really groan” after keeping them on the field for hours. Anil Kumble, Cheteshwar Pujara and Aakash Chopra said it was unnecessary and disappointing considering the historical significance attached to the term.
Temba Bavuma distances himself from Shukri Conrad’s “growl” comment
Speaking after the match, Temba Bavuma distanced himself from Shukri Conrad’s “growl” comment and said he had only heard the comment that morning. Bavuma said he had not discussed it with Conrad and that the coach would review his words.
“The comments made by the coach came to me this morning. I was focused on the game and I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. Shukri is close to 60 years old and will take a look at his comments,” Bavuma said when asked about that comment in the post-match press conference.
Why does “grovel” remain a sensitive word in cricket?
The term “grovel” has a sensitive and controversial history in cricket. It was used in 1976, when England captain Tony Greig stated that he intended to “grove” the West Indies before a home series. This comment angered Clive Lloyd’s side, who responded with a brutal display.
West Indies defeated England 3–0. Viv Richards scored an extraordinary 829 runs, while Michael Holding took 28 wickets. Greig was heavily criticized for his comments, lost respect in the cricket world and played only a few more Tests before losing the captaincy.
Shukri Conrad had used the same word during the second test against India. He made this comment after the fourth day, when his team was on the verge of achieving a rare series win on Indian soil.
South Africa eventually took a 2-0 lead after a massive 408-run win in Guwahati. This was their first Test series win in India in 25 years. The Proteas won the series opener in Kolkata by 30 runs.
Temba Bavuma recalls Jasprit Bumrah’s “dwarf” taunt after series win
Temba Bavuma also pointed out that verbal exchanges in the series went in both directions. He recalled Jasprit Bumrah’s earlier “dwarf” jibe about his height during the first Test in Kolkata.
Bavuma said, “But in this series some people have also crossed the limits. I am not saying that the coach has crossed the limits, but he will definitely think about it.”
During the opening Test in Kolkata, a stump-mic recorded a comment by Jasprit Bumrah about Temba Bavuma’s height. The fast bowler was heard saying to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant during the LBW appeal, “There is a dwarf too”. A Hindi phrase describing someone as small or dwarf has been criticized.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Marco Jansen takes extraordinary catch to dismiss Mohammed Siraj and humiliate India in Guwahati Test
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