Refreshed Markram ready to tap into Conrad's competitive edge

WHEN Aiden Markram faced up to a 10-year-old KFC Mini-Cricketer charging in at the Langa Sports Complex last Friday, it was the first time he had picked up a bat since that fateful Saturday morning at Lord’s.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS.

It was then when the famous ground rose in unison to applaud the Proteas’ World Test Championship final hero all the way the back to the pavilion.

Markram could not absorb the gravitas of the occasion at the time, stating "When I get out, I'm always angry. That's me being me". But having now had the opportunity to "refresh, see friends and family, spend some time in the bush," the 30-year-old views it through a different lens, especially after joining skipper Temba Bavuma on his homecoming parade.

"I've been fortunate now to have had a few weeks off and to sit back, reflect on what we've done as a team and achieved after all the recent heartbreaks," Markram said. "Not just recently, but years of getting so close but not getting over the line. It's been really tough, and now that we've been at home and able to see the people of South Africa appreciate pretty much what we've done.