When Aiden Markram was standing on the edge of the Marrara Oval on the outskirts of Darwin, he would have struggled to be anywhere in the cricket playing world further from Lord’s, in London. He was a very long way from anywhere.
South Africa’s T20 captain was concluding his media duties ahead of his team’s three-match series against Australia, but, as he knew at the time, he would always be remembered for his century, which did so much to win the World Test Championship final against Australia at the ‘Home of Cricket’ in June. And Australians, in particular, would always ask him about it:
“It was obviously a special time for all of us, that test match. So, very good memories and good things to keep in the bank. But it's been a while now. Some of us have come off some good rest at home, and now it’s a different format, different venue, and different opposition as well, in terms of the makeup of their T20 squad.
“So, it’s a completely new slate for us now, and we’re building up to a World Cup next year. It's an exciting journey,” Markram said.
'PLAYING WITH ABSOLUTE FREEDOM'
When Markram led South Africa to their first T20 final and lost by an agonising seven runs to India in Barbados last year, Markram knew he would always be asked about that, too. And the Australian media did not disappoint in Darwin on Friday:
“There will always be that disappointment, but we've had quite a few changes in personnel, some guys have moved on, and we have some younger guys in the squad now. It’s really about unlocking the guys to be the best versions of themselves and play with absolute freedom, to take the game on and entertain,” Markram said.
“That's what T20 cricket is all about, we know if we play good cricket against whichever team, it's going to be entertaining and it's going to be a good show for people to watch. So that's where we’re at mentally, trying to unlock that out of the players themselves.”
Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka have attracted particular attention in Australia with captain Mitch Marsh saying: “They've got some young guys that have burst on the scene over the last couple of years and I guess that's always exciting for international cricket and it provides us with a different challenge; we’re certainly looking forward to coming up against them.
Markram, 30, remembers the age: “Explosive and fearless. What it is to be 19 or 20 again, there's not many worries in the world when you're that age, and it reflects in when they train and how you see them operate. Each country has their own youngsters coming through, and we’ve got a handful of them on this tour, it's just exciting and a great opportunity for us to see what they're about and allow them to entertain people,” Markram said.
The first match is on Sunday, with the second on Tuesday and the third on Saturday in Cairns. Another three-match ODI series follows thereafter.