Markram learns to take things in his stride as Proteas captain reports for destiny

Aiden Markram has learnt to take things in his stride, the Proteas T20 captain told reporters in a pre-match press conference in Pretoria on Friday as he reflected on what has been a well-storied journey for him up to this point.

Markram captains the Proteas at his home ground of Centurion on Saturday when they host West Indies in the first of a three-match T20 series. It is Markram’s first series in charge. Permanently.

Apart from filling in for ODI captain Temba Bavuma in the third ODI of a drawn series against the Windies on Tuesday, Markram takes up his first full-time role as a senior national captain five years since a cruel baptism in which he was made interim captain to replace an injured Faf du Plessis during an eventual home ODI series drubbing against India in 2018. 

It all began with him leading the South African U19 side to World Cup victory in 2014. Then an apparent crisis of confidence post that India series. 

Then came the epiphanic moment with an inaugural SA20 league title win as captain of the Eastern Cape Sunrisers that saw him meet what many have called his destined role as captain of a senior Proteas team. 

“It (captaincy) is definitely different to U19 level. I think there’s a lot more depth to it and in U19 cricket everyone just wanted to play and you just had to make sure that the team is getting on and the guys understood what their roles were. And that was as simple as it was,” Markram, who will be leading the side at his home ground on Saturday, said.

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“I suppose there’s bits and pieces you can take from it, but I think the few years of being in this environment has helped. We’ve had some great leaders