Aiden Markram is the indisputable captain of the Proteas’ T20 team.
His leadership and man-management skills during the last T20 World Cup was of the highest quality as he steered the Proteas to a first World Cup final appearance.
The tactical nous he displayed in the Super Eight match against the West Indies, assessing the conditions on the day and responding with 12 overs of spin, was particularly impressive.
But Markram will know better than most – especially after seeing the demise of his predecessor Temba Bavuma up close – that his primary job remains putting runs on the board.
And it is here that Markram has struggled in the recent past.
Admittedly, the pitches in the US and Caribbean utilised during the T20 World Cup were sketchy, but his return of 123 runs at an average of 15.37 and strike rate of 100.81 left a lot to be desired.
To compound matters, Markram’s overall international T20 record for the past two years does not make for much better reading, as he averages 25.92, at a strike rate of 132.73.
During this period, which includes two T20 World Cups, Markram has managed just one half-century against India in Perth in 2022.
His franchise return this past year has not been much better either.
After a cracking debut SA20 season with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, where he scored 366 runs, Markram followed it up with 261 runs at an average of 32.62 in the second season, with just one half-century.
It mirrored his numbers in the Indian Premier League, where he eked out 220 runs at an average of 24.44 and a strike rate of 124.29, and again just one contribution in excess of 50 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
So, while the three-match series against the West Indies, starting tonight at the Brian Lara Stadium (9pm SA time) in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, is undoubtedly important for the development of a group of younger, inexperienced players, it is crucial for Markram to also get back among the runs again.
“With a new, pretty young and inexperienced team, I would like to lead from the front from a performance point of view,” Markram said from Tarouba yesterday.
“I am pretty excited to do that. Hopefully it goes well. We are not always sure how it goes in this game.
“Luckily feeling good, and most importantly, mentally quite sharp. The ingredients are there, but performances are never guaranteed.
“But really hungry to put in performances that win games for my country.”
The last time Markram and the Proteas T20 team were in Tarouba, they were met by an almost spiteful surface for their T20 World Cup semi-final against Afghanistan.
The Afghans were rolled for just 56 – the lowest score in a T20 World Cup semi-final – and the Proteas managed to advance by nine wickets, with Markram incidentally steering his team home with 23 not out off 21 balls.
The skipper is holding thumbs that they are served up a better pitch for the series opener against the Windies tonight.
“Looking forward to starting the T20 series. It was a quick turnaround (from the Test series, which SA won 1-0). There are some new faces, and they bring unique energy to the camp – and that’s always welcome,” he said.
“The wicket looks a lot drier, so I assume it will be better than the Afghanistan game. So, a bit of a sigh of relief. We will have to assess it as quickly as we can, and formulate plans from there.”
The Proteas have two uncapped players in their 15-man squad in Jason Smith and Kwena Maphaka, but Markram could not confirm yet whether either of them would debut this evening.
The name is Smith, Jason Smith😤🔥💪
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 22, 2024
Putting in the work in the nets ahead of our first T20i clash with West Indies tomorrow in Trinidad. 🏏🇿🇦#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/aqHxmgYl8e
“Nice to see Kwena and Jason. Obviously Kwena has had a helluva year for himself and done really well. Just watching him operate in training, he brings a lot of youthful energy into the camp,” he said.
“Jason, it’s been a bit of a different journey. He has really had to hang his cap at every level to get this opportunity.
“Each journey is so different. We had a nice team dinner where we ran through the new faces and got to know them a little better. Their two stories were very different, but equally special.”