‘It’s brutal out there’: Klusener on Bavuma and Phehlukwayo going unsold at SA20 auction

The aftermath of the highly publicised SA20 auction at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Monday was Proteas white-ball captain Temba Bavuma and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo going unsold.

Bavuma, who will lead SA at the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia next month where he will open the batting with the explosive Quinton de Kock, and Phehlukwayo not being bought raised eyebrows.

Asked to comment on the issue that turned out to be a major talking point in the country, former Proteas all-rounder and coach of the Durban Super Giants Lance “Zulu” Klusener said there is serious competition for places.

“They [Bavuma and Phehlukwayo] probably feel the same as other people who haven’t been selected. It is brutal out there,” said Klusener.

“There is a lot of competition for places. It just shows you that it doesn’t necessarily mean that if you are a good player in SA, you have the same recognition around the world.

“There are good players out there and maybe this will drive people who did not get bought to work a little bit harder for next year.”

Bavuma, who went with the base price of R850,000 at the auction, missed the recent tour to England with an elbow injury but is expected to be fit for the outgoing white-ball tour of India this month.

While there was heartbreak for Bavuma, little-known Titans batter Donovan Ferreira stole the show late in the day when he came out of nowhere to be bought for R5.5m by Joburg Super Kings.

Joburg Super Kings coach and New Zealand batting legend Stephen Fleming said Ferreira “made my heart beat [faster]”.

“If he is more exciting on the field than he is on the auction table then he is going to be good for us. Research shows that he is still relatively young, but explosive, dynamic and talented.

“It was important for us to get him because it was the last key position that we needed. So we talked about the last throw of the dice and we are hoping he will be a big player for us,” said Fleming.

The day belonged to Proteas batter Tristan Stubbs, 22, who is part of the SA squad for the T20 World Cup, after he was bought for a staggering R9.2m by Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

One of the other notable buys was fast bowler Sisanda Magala who was bought for R5.4m by Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Sunrisers bowling coach and former Proteas mainstay Dale Steyn said he has been a “big fan of Magala for a long time”.

“He is somebody who has been on my radar. Since my playing days, I have been pushing for him and we are happy to have him,” Steyn said.