Mackay, Aug. 24 -- Captain Temba Bavuma declared that the South Africa team is "quite far" from where they strive to be for the home 2027 ODI World Cup but have enough time to reach that position.

After orchestrating its fifth ODI bilateral series win on the trot against Australia, South Africa slumped to a 276-run defeat, a record margin in the final contest of the three-match series.

Despite the blend of success and setbacks, the Proteas see themselves as a team in transition. With new faces being infused into the team, South Africa is going through an "exploration phase" two years before the World Cup.

"You're seeing new faces in the team, and that's all part of us being in that exploration phase. We're getting to understand guys, w...