Refreshed Aiden Markram raring to go in the SA20

Sunrisers Eastern Cape skipper Aiden Markram said the break over the festive period did him good and he was raring to go when the Betway SA20 gets under way on Tuesday.

The event kicks off with a Western Cape derby between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals at Newlands on Tuesday, before the Orange Army host the Pretoria Capitals in Gqeberha on Thursday (5.30pm).

Markram, who was one of the six captains to engage media in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon, wants to see this youthful side put all their skills on display during the month-long competition.

“We have quite a young group, so hopefully we can bring that exuberance of youth to the forefront and play some entertaining cricket.

“I am excited [to lead this group]; there is a good fan base down in Gqeberha, and hopefully we can fill the stadium,” Markram said.

Markram said, after a busy year of international cricket before he was axed for the tour of Australia, he was grateful to be able to spend the festive period with his family and friends.

“It has been a while since I have had that, so it was quite refreshing.

“In terms of leadership, it has been a while since I captained a team, so I am looking forward to that.

“It might take the odd practice game here and there to remember how things go, we have those over the next few days.

“I can also tap into the knowledge of our management, who are quite experienced, as well as get some new ideas from the younger guys.

“I think if we can balance those two things, we can get on the right path and play some good cricket,” Markram said.

Meanwhile, Paarl Royals captain David Miller said the challenge of captaining a side filled with some international superstars may be a bit daunting, but one he would tackle head-on.

“It can be a bit challenging, but as everyone has in their teams, there is a huge amount of experience in our team.

“We have World Cup winning captains, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, who we are privileged to have with their experience, along with a very experienced coach and a lot of exciting young players.

“I think the trick is trying to get all the guys together as quickly as possible.

“But once the first game kicks off and the tournament is under way, guys will fall into line, find the rhythm of the team,” he said.

MI Cape Town’s Rashid Khan, who is the only foreign captain from the panel of six, said: “I don’t think there will be any extra pressure — I have already led the Afghanistan team in some games, and I have also been vice-captain for the Gujarat Titans, which helped me as a player as I was involved in some of the decision-making.

“I don’t think there will be too much pressure, I think it is about making sure you enjoy your cricket, and give 100%, within the capabilities you have.

“There are a lot of things I still need to learn as a captain, so this will help make me a better cricketer as well, so I am looking forward to the task ahead.”