Winning not crucial in T20 series against Windies

Nearly two months have passed since the crushing outcome in the T20 World Cup final, and already the Proteas are back on the treadmill, with another series against the West Indies, where the primary goal isn’t necessarily winning. 

Not that the outcome doesn’t matter, but for Aiden Markram the goals for the three-match T20 series that start in Trinidad on Friday aren’t completely tied up in wins or losses. 

“You look at what each main goal is for a different series, you will have a series where results don’t go your way, but it will still be good for the team in the long run,” Markram said on Tuesday. 

He pointed to the Proteas series in Jamaica, before the World Cup as an example. The West Indies won all three matches but it was still crucial in providing match time for some of the Proteas players ahead of that tournament, and also giving exposure to others, such as  young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter. 

The 15-man squad for this series includes six players who were in the World Cup group, with Lungi Ngidi and Nandré Burger who travelled as additional reserves. 

Kwena Maphaka and Jason Smith are the only uncapped players in the squad.

The Proteas, especially in the limited overs formats, have been deliberate about creating playing opportunities for fringe players in bilateral series as they assess depth for the annual ICC events on the international calendar. 

“Sometimes the series win is everything, but on other occasions you look at growth, development and growing our options from a selection point of view and a lot can still come out of a series that might not go our way,” said Markam. 

Markram’s point is supported by the Proteas’ recent results against the West Indies. SA have won only two of the last seven T20 Internationals against West Indies, but they did win the most important match in that stretch — the “virtual quarterfinal” at the T20 World Cup in Antigua in June. 

As for the outcome of that tournament, Markram said it had taken him some time to get over the result in the final — a seven-run loss to India, after they’d been in a strong position in the run chase. 

“It was a tough one to swallow at the time. Luckily I was able to take some time personally to get away from cricket conversations that would spark discussion about a World Cup final. It was nice to be able to do that and to reset.”

While being in the same region and playing another T20 may trigger some bitter memories, the bigger goal for Markram will provide a welcome opportunity to keep looking forward. 

He said he didn’t expect the new players to adjust their styles too much because they are in Proteas green and gold. “The T20 way nowadays is pretty straight forward and most of the players understand where the game is moving.

“You look at selecting personnel that have the ability to play that way which is what we have done with this squad. For them, the whole tour is a big learning curve, about understanding the environment, getting a feel for international cricket and ultimately allowing that to be a stepping stone to be permanent fixtures in our team and putting match winning performances together for SA.”