It’s been 53 days since South Africa’s heartbreaking loss in the T20 World Cup final. The sting of that defeat, however, still lingers. Aiden Markram, one of the key players of the team, addressed the media from Guyana on Tuesday, shedding light on his current state of mind. “I should give it as much time as it needs,” he emphasized at the press conference. “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 dramatic events of June 29 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. On that day, South Africa’s men’s team reached milestones they had never before achieved in their cricketing history. Not only did they make it to a senior World Cup final for the first time, but they also faced the heartbreak of losing such a high-stakes match.
India narrowly defeated South Africa by seven runs in what was a nail-biting final. The South African players were devastated. While they had experienced such close finishes before—winning and losing six of their other 184 T20Is by the same narrow margin and having tied one match—this loss, on such a significant stage, cut much deeper.
“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 said, providing a glimpse into his coping mechanisms. “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.”
The South African team is now back in the Caribbean, preparing for a three-match T20I series against West Indies in Tarouba, Trinidad, scheduled from Friday to Tuesday. However, not all members of the World Cup squad are present this time. Among the players who featured in the World Cup final XI, only Markram, Reeza Hendricks, and Tristan Stubbs have made the trip. Markram and Stubbs were also part of the recent Test series against the Windies, which South Africa won 1-0 under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, who also leads the ODI team.
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Markram, as the T20I captain, often juggles between roles of leadership and being part of the rank and file. “It’s not a hell of a big deal for me. The decision-makers, especially from a white-ball point of view, remain consistent. That allows for continuity in the team,” Markram explained. “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.”
While the Caribbean tour presents fresh challenges, Markram will undoubtedly be hoping for better results than what transpired during the World Cup. Concerns over the pitch conditions have already surfaced. On Tuesday, the ICC rated the pitch at Tarouba “unsatisfactory” due to its chronically inconsistent bounce, which had influenced the semi-final match against Afghanistan. South Africa had dismissed Afghanistan for a paltry 56 runs, securing a nine-wicket victory. The host nation’s batting first was bowled out within a low range of 40 to 95 in four out of the five games played at the ground during the tournament. In the only other match, West Indies managed to recover from a dire 30/5 to post a total of 149/9 against New Zealand.
Conditions were notably better in the preparatory tour match that South Africa played against a West Indies Championship XI in Tarouba ahead of the Test series. In that game, both teams posted scores of 397 and 408/9, propelled by two centuries and six half-centuries, including three scores above 70. Markram himself showcased his form, scoring 82 runs off 107 balls, with 56 of those runs coming from boundaries.
That high-scoring outing would have undoubtedly been a more favorable memory for Markram than the sorrowful events of June 29. Even if South Africa secures a 3-0 series victory against the West Indies in the coming days, it is unlikely to entirely erase the disappointment of that World Cup final. However, moving on involves the belief that the World Cup final won’t be their last dance on such a grand stage, and that brighter days await.