It’s been 53 long days since the dramatic events of June 29, and Aiden Markram is gradually coming to terms with a painful chapter in his cricketing career. “I should give it as much time as it needs,” revealed Markram during 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 T20 World Cup final at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, where South Africa’s men’s cricket team experienced uncharted territories—twice. For the first time, they reached the senior World Cup final and consequently, faced the agony of losing one.
In a nail-biter that left fans on the edge of their seats, India clinched victory by a mere seven runs. The South African team was heartbroken. While they had both won and lost T20Is by such narrow margins before—six of their other 184 T20Is to be exact—this defeat was especially tough to digest. “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,” said Markram. “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 squad has returned to the Caribbean, ready to face the West Indies in a series of three T20Is in Tarouba, Trinidad, starting from Friday through Tuesday. The only members of their World Cup final XI present are Markram, Reeza Hendricks, and Tristan Stubbs. Over the past 13 days, Markram and Stubbs played a Test series against the Windies, which South Africa won 1-0 under the captaincy of Temba Bavuma, who also leads the ODI team.
As South Africa’s T20I captain, Markram reflects on the challenges of switching roles between a player and a leader.
. “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 shared. “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 will be hoping for better fortunes in Tarouba this time around. On Tuesday, the ICC critiqued the Tarouba pitch with an “unsatisfactory” rating for its chronically inconsistent bounce—a rating just one level above the lowest. During the World Cup, South Africa bowled Afghanistan out for just 56 runs on this very pitch in the semifinal, cruising to a nine-wicket win. In four of the five games played at this ground during the tournament, teams batting first were skittled between 40 and 95 runs. The sole exception saw West Indies recover from a precarious 30/5 to post 149/9 against New Zealand.
Conditions were markedly better during a tour match against a West Indies Championship XI in Tarouba, prior to the Tests. Centuries and multiple half-centuries were scored, resulting in team totals of 397 and 408/9. Markram himself shone brightly, scoring 82 runs off 107 balls, with 56 of those runs coming in boundaries.
That day undoubtedly provided more joy for Markram compared to June 29. Even if the South African team manages a 3-0 series sweep against the West Indies, it won’t erase the sting of their World Cup final defeat. However, part of moving on is nurturing the belief that this won’t be the only final they play in, that more prosperous days lie ahead.