It’s been 53 days. How is Aiden Markram holding up? “I should give it as much time as it needs,” he told a press conference from 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.”
Aiden Markram was talking about the drama of June 29 2024 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, where South Africa’s men’s team went where they have not been before – twice. They had never reached a senior World Cup final before. Hence they hadn’t felt the shock of losing a decider.
Aiden Markram reflects on ICC World T20 2024 final vs India
South Africa will be back in the T20I action for the first time since losing the T20 World Cup 2024 final against India on June 29. In a painful match that saw them have control for the majority of the game, South Africa were outclassed by the Indian fast bowling unit, who held their nerves in the final 5 overs of the game. SA captain Aiden Markram has opened up on dealing with the loss before the first T20I against West Indies, set to be played on August 23.
India won the desperately close T20 World Cup final by seven runs. The South Africans were distraught. They had won and lost six of their other 184 T20Is by the same margin and won and lost 21 by fewer runs. They had even tied one. But this was different.
The South Africans are back in the Caribbean to play three T20Is against West Indies in Tarouba, Trinidad from Friday to Tuesday. Some of them, anyway. The only members of their squad who were in the World Cup final XI are Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks and Tristan Stubbs. Aiden Markram and Stubbs played in a Test series against the Windies in the past 13 days, which South Africa won 1-0 under Temba Bavuma, who also captains the ODI side.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the series, Aiden Markram said that he was lucky to get some time away from the game where he did not have to engage in conversations about the T20 World Cup.
Aiden Markram opens up on South Africa’s 2024 T20 World Cup final heartbreak
South Africa’s T20I captain Aiden Markram has admitted that the narrow loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final was a tough one to swallow. He, however, asserted that getting some time away from the game has helped him handle the heartbreak in a better manner.
The Proteas were in a dominant position to win the 2024 T20 World Cup final played at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29. Chasing 177, they seemed to be cruising at 151-4 after 16 overs. However, not for the first time in a World Cup knockout clash, they crumbled under pressure and ended up on the losing side. In the end, India emerged victorious by seven runs.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the T20I series against West Indies, Aiden Markram shared his thoughts on South Africa’s failure to win the ICC event held in the West Indies and the United States despite coming so close.
“I should give it as much time as it needs. 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,” he was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“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. 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,” Markram went on to add.
Aiden Markram was dismissed for 4 in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. However, Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) put South Africa on course for victory. His dismissal, though, sparked a shocking batting collapse as the Proteas finished on 169-8.
Aiden Markram views on different captains for different formats
The South African right-handed batter played under Temba Bavuma’s leadership in the Tests against West Indies. He is now back as captain for the T20Is. The experienced cricketer, however, doesn’t see the change in roles depending on the formats as a problem.
“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. 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,” the South African T20I captain said in the same interaction.
“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 concluded.
The South Africa vs West Indies T20I series will kick off with the first match at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad on Friday, August 23. The remaining two matches will be played at the same venue on August 25 and August 27.
Aiden Markram will hope what he gets in Tarouba this time is better than during the T20 World Cup. On Tuesday the ICC labelled “unsatisfactory” – the second-lowest rating – the Tarouba pitch of chronically inconsistent bounce on which South Africa dismissed Afghanistan for 56 on their way to a nine-wicket win in the semifinal.
Teams batting first were bowled out between the range of 40 to 95 in four of the five games played at the ground during the tournament. In the other match, West Indies were 30/5 against New Zealand before they recovered to a total of 149/9.
Conditions were better in the tour match the South Africans played against a West Indies Championship XI in Tarouba before the Tests. Two centuries and six 50s – three of them more than 70 – and the teams made totals of 397 and 408/9. Aiden Markram himself scored 82 off 107 and hit 56 of his runs in boundaries.
That would have been a happier day for Aiden Markram than June 29. Even a 3-0 win in the coming days wouldn’t take the edge off what happened that day. But part of moving on is believing that won’t be your only final, and that happier days are ahead.