“Let’s see if there should be a little bit more respect for his bowling”: When Kevin Pietersen downplaying Temba Bevuma’s credentials as a Test match bowler almost embarrassed him

Kevin Pietersen downplaying Temba Bevuma’s bowling ability barely saved the former from some embarrassment at the commentary box.

We have heard a numerous times how the commentators often find themselves at the edge of a slippery slope, where it takes just a few minutes or even an instant when their punditry is proved otherwise by the player in focus.

Former England batter and skipper Kevin Pietersen too, had found himself in a similar sort of a situation when he tended to laugh off at the South African batter Temba Bavuma’s bowling ability.

It happened during the first Test match of South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2016/17 at Perth. The Proteas batters had handed a stiff target of 539 to the Australian batters with Usman Khawaja batting at 84* alongside wicket-keeper batter Peter Nevill, and the scorecard reading 226/4.

It was at that point that Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis handed the ball to Temba Bavuma, who was on the verge to bowl his first delivery in International Cricket.

Pietersen, who apparently had earlier exclaimed he’d come out to bat if Bavuma was to bowl, had a quick glance at Bavuma’s First- Class bowling numbers, which along expected lines did not speak highly of his bowling abilities.

“Let’s have a look at this. Let’s see if there should be a little bit more respect for his bowling in the commentary box. He averages 34, he’s got 4 wickets, the best of 2/34. Stats do not tell me that you would not have wanted to have faced what’s just about to be delivered. Please do not tell me, if you were sitting there on 84*, you’d be facing reverse swing from Philander, Rabada,” remarked Pietersen the moment Bavuma came on to bowl.

Bavuma nearly strikes first ball

Much to everyone’s amazement at the commentary box, including Pietersen’s, Bavuma bowled a short delivery which stayed low and struck Khawaja beneath his right pad’s knee roll in front of the stumps.

While it looked Plumb, the umpire Nigel Llong, declared it a No-ball with Bavuma overstepping the line. While Bavuma covered his face with disappointment, Pietersen would have done the same with sheer disbelief on how lucky he was to get away from the embarrassment he would have faced had it not been a No-Ball.

The Hawk-Eye, later on, confirmed that the ball would have crashed into the middle and leg stump.

Watch Kevin Pietersen downplaying Temba Bevuma’s bowling ability

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