Aiden Markram happy with influx of fresh faces despite loss to India

The influx of fresh faces in the Proteas camp will do great things for player development in SA, stand-in one-day captain Aiden Markram says. 

He was speaking after the Proteas suffered a series defeat to India after losing the third and decisive ODI by 78 runs in Paarl on Thursday. 

The Proteas were dismissed for a lowly 218 at Boland Park. 

Series star Tony de Zorzi top-scored for the home side with 81, after scoring his maiden century in Gqeberha. 

Earlier, a Sanju Samson century and 52 from young left-hander Tilak Varma, with whom he shared a partnership of 116 runs for the fourth wicket, laid the platform for India. A quick-fire 38 by Rinku Singh then propelled the visitors to a competitive 296. 

Asked to assess the impact of players such as De Zorzi and Nandre Burger, Markram said they had a positive effect on the group and were a feather in the cap of the talent pool being produced by the domestic system. 

“It is always a good opportunity for the guys [to be a part of the national set-up] and the environment doesn’t put pressure on them to perform. 

“Whatever they’ve done at franchise level to get the call-up is exactly what we trust them to do; it’s not about changing the way they approach things. 

“So to see those guys get those opportunities and take it is fantastic for the Proteas environment and for the system in SA.

“It shows there is a lot of good happening in the franchise system that those guys can come in and perform and [it’s] good for the Proteas because they can show others how to operate,” Markram said. 

On the team’s contrasting performances during the series, he said it was sometimes difficult to turn the intensity back on after the highs and lows of the recent World Cup campaign. 

“It’s hard to think of it now,” he said. “The first thing that comes to mind is we are giving opportunities to guys, which is fantastic for our system. 

“We’re finding a solid way in a blueprint with bat and ball, but [I’m] happy to admit it is not 100% nailed down yet. It is a combination of a few things. When it goes well, it looks good and the brand of cricket looks great. 

“But it is important for us to be adaptable, to be able to potentially change that blueprint here and there to get results in our favour and games down to the wire where we may have a chance. 

“It [playing a series] is different to a World Cup and it is human nature to be a bit pap after a World Cup. 

“Guys put everything on the line and you don’t achieve the goal you wanted to. There is still that sense of pride in the way we played there but it takes quite a bit out of you. So, it was fantastic to have those guys put up their hands and say they want to play, but perhaps there were a few percentages from an intensity point of view that might have let us down.”