To move Proteas forward, Markram had to move up

The Proteas’ defeat in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against India deeply hurt Aiden Markram.

- JOHN GOLIATH

It was visible in the eyes of every player, but the captain looked particularly distraught.South Africa had reached that showpiece final in Barbados despite their leader's lack of contribution; in truth, he had scratched around for the duration of the tournament.

Markram never looked his fluent self, trying to force the issue to hit himself out of a persistent funk. In the final, as the Proteas chased 177 for a historic win, he contributed just five runs, leaving his teammates to shoulder the burden.

The South Africans came agonis-ingly close, reaching a stage where they required a run-a-ball in the final five overs. But, as has so often been the case in ICC events, they fell short, losing by seven runs on that fateful June day.

Batting primarily in the middle order at the behest of then-coach Rob Walter, Markram looked encumbered by the responsibility of captaincy and a tactical muddle regarding his role.