Johannesburg: Aiden Markram does not have the advantage of any other South African cricket captain – he has led the team to victory in the World Cup.
The 2014 U-19 World Cup remains the only global cricket trophy won by South Africa.
Ten years is a long time in cricket and Markram admits there is a big difference between the junior tournament and the Twenty20 World Cup, where he will lead South Africa’s challenge, starting with Sri Lanka in New York on Monday.
“You don’t have a lot of eyes watching you in age-group races, you forget a little bit about the pressure when you’re young,” Markram told AFP by phone.
“In the past, it was just a matter of what was in front of you. Now it’s more planning and preparation and making sure everything is in a good place.
“The World Cup is a big event, but I’m lucky enough to have very few people know what to expect. One thing that hasn’t changed is that I’m excited to participate in it,” he said.
Markram scored 370 runs at an average of 123.33 in 2014 and was named player of the tournament. He can also mention the fast bowling talent of Kagiso Rabada, the leading scorer and destroyer of Australian juniors in the semi-finals.
Rabada was one of the class of 2014 who lined up alongside Markram in the US and West Indies. Markram admitted that South Africa’s T20 results have not been impressive since he took over as coach Rob Walter early last year.
During Markram’s tenure, the team managed just two wins in eight games, all at home.
Last week, Markram and six other Premier League (IPL) players were ruled out, losing all three matches against the West Indies in Jamaica.
South Africa will enter the World Cup in the seventh lowest position in the International Cricket Council rankings.
But Markram believes the results do not tell the full story, as South Africa manage their workload and create a full-strength squad after giving opportunities to new players. “We have a good team,” he said.
South Africa has a strong potential batting line-up with Quinton de Kock, Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and the exciting Tristan Stubbs, one of the latest IPL stars.
Only De Kock played against the West Indies.
Coach Walter said he has picked bowlers he believes can hit in the first match of the T20 tournament. The team’s fastest bowler, Henrich Nortje, is a key player but has struggled against the IPL and West Indies after returning from a long-term stress fracture.
“He’s got a serious injury and it’s been a while, but we’re all rooting for him and we know what he can do,” Markram said. The South African captain arrived at the team’s training base in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday night after attending the IPL final in Chennai on Sunday with Klaasen and Marco Jansen.
“You get used to it,” he said of the trip. “That’s the reality for a lot of players these days.
On the one hand, it’s good to go straight to practice and prepare for Monday. “Sri Lanka have a T20 team and it is important for them to get off to a good start.”
