SA Test captain Bavuma breaks silence on ‘dwarf’ remark, reveals two senior Indian players apologised

South African Test captain Temba Bavuma has broken his silence on the unsavoury incident involving a ‘dwarf’ remark made by ace Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah during the concluded Test series in November. Midway through a review discussion for an LBW call on Bavuma during the first Test in Kolkata, Bumrah and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant referred to him as a dwarf, with the stump mic picking it up, and the matter getting escalated on social media. However, even before the two Indians involved were made aware of the damage done by that remark, both approached Bavuma and apologised to him after the day’s play.

Bavuma said that although he didn’t hear what Bumrah and Pant discussed during the review discussion in the middle, he understood that something was being murmured in their native language, which he didn’t understand but had to check up with the media manager afterwards. The right-handed batter admitted letting the matter go and having no ifs about it.

“I know from my side, there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised. When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about; I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it. What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no grudges per se,” Bavuma wrote in a column for ‘ESPNcricinfo’.

Bavuma on Conrad’s remarks

The series, won by South Africa, was also marred by off-field remarks, including one made by South Africa coach Shukri Conrad, during a presser in the second Test in Guwahati. Conrad used the word ‘grovel’, leading to comparisons with Tony Grieg’s infamous comments with racist connotations during the series against the West Indies. Conard, however, apologised for his remarks later, admitting he could have used another word for that, something Bavuma also echoed.

“Shukri also took some heat for his 'grovel' remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made. I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all. The first time I heard about it, it had that unsavoury taste to it, but I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was and what it meant to certain individuals within the group. Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed. In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word, and I agree with him,” he said.