Refreshed Aiden Markram ready to tap into Shukri Conrad's white-ball competitive edge

IOL News

6 days ago

Proteas WTC Final hero Aiden Markram has appreciated the support of the South African public since returning from Lord's. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
WHEN Aiden Markram faced up to a 10-year-old KFC Mini-Cricketer charging in at the Langa Sports Complex last Friday, it was the first time he had picked up a bat since that fateful Saturday morning at Lord's.
It was then that the famous ground rose in unison to applaud the Proteas' World Test Championship final hero all the way the back to the pavilion.
Markram could not absorb the gravitas of the occasion at the time, stating "When I get out, I'm always angry. That's me being me". But having now had the opportunity to ''refresh, see friends and family, spend some time in the bush," the 30-year-old views it through a different lens, especially after joining skipper Temba Bavuma on his homecoming parade.
"I've been fortunate now to have had a few weeks off and to sit back, reflect on what we've done as a team and achieved after all the recent heartbreaks," Markram said.
"Not just recently, but years of getting so close but not getting over the line. It's been really tough, and now that we've been at home and able to see the people of South Africa appreciate pretty much what we've done.
"Coming here to Langa, we don't often get the opportunity to connect with people who support us and to be able to celebrate with them. It's been really cool to see the story behind Temba and his family and what the community's done for him and what he's done for the community.
"It's nice to experience it in person. I think you get a much better understanding of how things are like here."
But as Markram admits, the nature of professional sport is to "crack on to the next game, next series, next tournament" with the Proteas set for a white-ball tour of Australia early next month.
Markram will lead a full-strength T20I squad in three T20I's in Darwin and Cairns, while Bavuma will take charge of three further ODIs in Cairns and Mackay. The T20I squad will depart following the Cricket SA Awards evening at Emperor's Palace on Thursday evening.
After Rassie van der Dussen led a youthful Proteas T20I side in the recent Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, the tour Down Under will be the coach Shukri Conrad and Markram's first white-ball assignment together.
Markram is certainly eager to reconnect with his mentor as they begin preparations for next year's T20 World Cup on the subcontinent.
"Looking forward to working with Shuks. Big time! We've come a long way together. I can't even remember when we first met," he said.
"We think about the game pretty similarly. Happy to take brave options and brave ideas to make a difference and ultimately to get us our first white-ball trophy now.
"Always loved the entertainment side of him, but also he's got a competitive edge that not many people know much about. So, I'm looking forward to tapping into that as well."
Part of the new world under Conrad's white-ball leadership is restoring Markram to the top of the order in the shortest format.
This tactic will go against the numbers that indicate Markram has been more effective at No 4, averaging 36.11 at a strike-rate of 146.72 compared to 29.28 at 172.26 facing the new ball, but Conrad has proven before that his gut-feeling is often the deciding factor.
Equally, Markram's strike-rate of 172.26 as an opener, could potentially have a bigger impact on the outcome.
"Whatever Shuks wants me to do, I'll do," he said candidly.
"We'll sort of plug the holes and see where we've got proper ability and I'm happy to fit in around that. Wherever it might be, if it's at the top, obviously look forward to it.
"If you can do it in red-ball, I don't think you're running away from it in white-ball cricket where it's probably one of the nicer places to bat.
"So, if that weren't to happen, yeah, I'd look forward to something like that," Markram concluded.