Proteas in an experimental mood against twice World Champs Windies

On the eve of the first T20 of a three-match series against West Indies at SuperSport Park, Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram cut a relaxed figure, even though he would be walking out at his home ground for his first day on the job as a full-time senior national skipper on Saturday.

It’s been five years since the recently-appointed Markram endured a harsh leadership induction in 2018, when he replaced an injured Faf du Plessis as an interim skipper during a home ODI series against a Virat Kohli-led India, which the Proteas lost 5-1.

“The mood’s been really good. Players always enjoy linking up for a T20 series, be it for your international side or for a competition abroad,” Markram told reporters on Friday, before the final instalment of the West Indies’ tour of South Africa commences in Centurion on Saturday.

“The energies are good, the guys are nice and relaxed and a lot of emphasis has been put on us to enjoy our time and entertain, hopefully, what’s going to be good crowds and viewers across South Africa and the world.” 

The West Indies may be considered mercurial on most days, but when it comes to T20 cricket, the two-time World Cup champions are not to be taken lightly. 

“I think it’s going to be an exciting series to start off with, they are a fantastic white ball team, especially in the T20 arena,” Markram said.

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“We’ve seen them win World Cups and the amount of X-factor they do have in their squads is big amounts. 

“We’re looking forward to it. It’s a great team to be able to test our skills against to see where we are at the moment with regards to our T20 side ourselves. 

“We’re going to have to be sharp against them, there’s no