World Cup the priority but Proteas need to start season well: Markram

Though the 50-over World Cup is the priority item on the Proteas’ agenda, starting the 2023-24 season confidently by beating Australia in a trio of T20 Internationals is a target Aiden Markram feels is important to achieve too. 

While the two are linked, doing the second won’t have a bearing on how the first unfolds. The Proteas, like Australia, have picked a fairly young and inexperienced group for the T20 International series that starts at Kingsmead on Wednesday (6pm SA time). 

For some, like Dewald Brevis — who is in line for an international debut — and Tristan Stubbs, their performances this week may have a bearing on whether they get picked for the 50-over showpiece in India. However, Markram doesn’t want them to feel burdened by what may lie ahead in October. 

“It is a great opportunity as a younger team to take on a good Australian team and hopefully, we can beat them,” said Markram.

“We still must appreciate that it is exciting for new guys to get an opportunity. They are not here to prove a point, they have been selected because we think they can win games of cricket for their country.”

That said, Markram admitted that the squad selection for both teams reflected the gravity of what is to come in India.

Australia have given skipper Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc time off because of injuries, while David Warner, Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood are rested. They will have three debutants — fast bowler Spencer Johnson and all-rounders Matt Short and Aaron Hardie — in their starting line-up for the first match.

The Proteas were set to finalise their starting team on Tuesday night. The hosts have left Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortjé out, with that quintet returning for the ODIs next week.

Markram described their absence as a sign of “common sense and priorities”.

“The focus in the 50 overs side is 100% on finalising the playing 11, getting the combinations right and taking momentum into a World Cup. The T20 is for us to take a newer, inexperienced team and build the mindset to compete and win.

“Because of the inexperience we might make errors, but we won’t be too focused on that; it’s the mindset we are trying to challenge,” Markram explained.

Brevis and Stubbs are the two most viewers will be monitoring with their all-round skills likely to open doors for the 50-over World Cup squad. Stubbs will don the keeping gloves in Wednesday’s opener, Markram said. 

“He’s been working hard in the last couple of weeks. ‘Stubbo’ doesn’t leave any stone unturned, he’s spent hours and hours practising his keeping. It adds another element to his game — we know he can bowl and now with the gloves he is showing what a multidimensional player he is.”

Markram, who was made T20 captain in February after Rob Walter was installed as the Proteas’ limited overs coach, isn’t without experienced allies to lean on for assistance.

The ODI captain Temba Bavuma desperately needs match time, after spending all of the winter in training camps, while Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks have only had stints in the Canadian T20 League to keep them occupied. Lungi Ngidi, too, is in need of time on the field, having not played at all during the recent Major League Cricket tournament in the US.