It’s been 53 days since the heart-stopping T20 World Cup final, and Aiden Markram is slowly coming to terms with South Africa’s defeat. “I should give it as much time as it needs,” Markram said at a press conference in Guyana on Tuesday. “It was a tough one to swallow at the time. Definitely since then till now, it’s got a bit better to handle; to deal with and to process and put to bed.”
Markram was referring to the extraordinary events of June 29 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. On that day, South Africa’s men’s cricket team ventured into uncharted territory. For the first time, they reached a senior World Cup final, an accomplishment that was quickly overshadowed by the unprecedented heartbreak of losing it.
In that final, India edged out South Africa by a mere seven runs. This wasn’t just any close match; it was the kind of defeat that sears itself into memory. South Africa had experienced narrow defeats before—winning and losing six of their 184 T20Is by the same margin, and experiencing 21 by fewer runs, along with one tied game—but this felt different.
“Luckily I was able to take some time to get away from the game, get away from cricket conversations that would spark the discussion once again,” Markram explained. “It was nice to get away from that and to reset. Each individual processes it pretty much to themselves. Probably the most important thing is making sure you’re at peace with how it all ended. So that you can move on and move forward.”
Now, the South African team is back in the Caribbean, gearing up for three T20Is against the West Indies in Tarouba, Trinidad, from Friday to Tuesday. However, only a few members of the squad from that unforgettable World Cup final will be participating. Markram, Reeza Hendricks, and Tristan Stubbs are the sole survivors from the final XI. Recently, Markram and Stubbs played in a Test series against the West Indies, a series South Africa won 1-0 under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, who also captains the ODI side.
As South Africa’s T20I captain, Markram is accustomed to juggling different roles and responsibilities.
. When asked about moving between ranks and leadership roles, he shrugged it off as not being “a hell of a big deal.” He elaborated, “The decision-makers, especially from a white-ball point of view, remain consistent. That allows for continuity in the team. Faces will change and squads will change, but it’s important that we keep driving a consistent message to the guys and making sure that they feel backed as players. And that whatever they bring to the table is good enough for us as a team. So, it’s not too complicated. You take on whatever you get given and you try to make the absolute best of it and see where it gets you.”
Markram is hopeful for a better outcome in Tarouba than what he experienced during the World Cup. It’s worth noting that the ICC recently rated the Tarouba pitch as “unsatisfactory,” citing chronically inconsistent bounce. This pitch had seen South Africa dismiss Afghanistan for 56 runs en route to a nine-wicket win in the World Cup semifinal. In four out of five games played there during the tournament, teams batting first were bowled out between 40 and 95 runs. The lone exception was a match where the West Indies, after being reduced to 30/5, managed to claw their way to a total of 149/9 against New Zealand.
Interestingly, conditions were much better in the tour match that South Africa played against a West Indies Championship XI in Tarouba before the Test series. In that match, two centuries and six fifties—three of which were above 70—were recorded. The teams posted scores of 397 and 408/9. Markram himself made a significant contribution, scoring 82 off 107 balls, with 56 of his runs coming from boundaries.
That match would have been a happier day for Markram compared to June 29. Even achieving a 3-0 series win in the coming days wouldn’t completely erase the sting of the World Cup final defeat. But moving on often involves believing that this setback won’t be the final chapter, and that happier days await in the future.