Markram: I Will Always Be A Captain That Wants To Win
Proteas T20 International captain Aiden Markram turned his attention from yet another exhilarating SA20 season to the T20I series against the West Indies before South Africa jets off for the T20I World Cup hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
With the final of the SA20 concluding at Newlands last Sunday and many of the players yet to join the camp from their respective teams, Markram is excited at the prospect of eventually having the entire group together, but he still kept a keen eye on his international charges.
“It’s exciting, the guys are coming in dribs and drabs. I think it will be good once we’re connected and we’re all together, which will most likely only be in Joburg, but it’s nice to link up before you get on a plane. There is a positive in doing it that way,” said Markram.
“I was locked in for DSG for the SA20, but I kept looking at how the boys were doing. Everyone was in a good space and quite a few of the guys have done well and are showing good signs. We’re blessed and can take that confidence going to India,” he added.
Markram has been buoyed by the performances of Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs who are replacing the injured duo of Donovan Ferreira and Tony De Zorzi for the T20 series against the West Indies and the T20 World Cup.
While taking comfort from both players previously being part of the setup, the captain couldn’t help but feel a tinge of despair for those that missed out.
“The tough part is chatting to the guys who are missing out. Tony has been working so hard, and unfortunately, sometimes it’s the way the cookie crumbles. Those conversations are quite hard,” he said.
“Then you look at the inclusions and they’ve been part of the squad for the last couple of years so they will fit right in – everyone knows everyone,” Markram stated.
Stubbs, who led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to their third SA20 title in four years in his debut season as captain, produced an inspirational knock when it mattered most as defeat looked inevitable at one stage.
His initial measured approach followed by his innate explosiveness, saw him score 63 in 41 balls and could serve as the catalyst for a return to form.
“I’m so happy for him – he’s one of the few guys in the team where everyone wants him to do well all the time. He grafts really hard and is the ultimate pro. Great for him to do it in a final – when you do well in a final you can take a lot of confidence from that.”
With this being the final series before the World Cup, the Proteas will want to settle on their best combinations while also securing victories to breed a winning mentality and build confidence going into the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
“I will always be a captain that wants to win. We’ve lost bilateral series and it’s incredibly frustrating,” lamented Markram.
“We’ll try to get guys into the exact roles we hopefully foresee them doing in the World Cup, entering the game at the most accurate times, but also managing the boys with a tough SA20 schedule and with that, try and win as well.”
The Proteas face the West Indies in the first of three T20 Internationals in Paarl on Tuesday.
The game begins at 18:00.
