It is time for the Proteas to recognise the gulf between T20I and ODI cricket and adapt their leadership structure with the appointment of Aiden Markram as T20I captain.
Markram’s management of his resources at the Sunrisers Eastern Cape demonstrates that he would make a great national team leader.
His form in the format is unquestionable, as he has proven to be among the Proteas’ most consistent batters.
Temba Bavuma should remain ODI skipper and might be the man to lead the team in the Test arena, if that is not a position that already has Markram’s name on it.
Markram’s captaincy credentials
Markram was made franchise captain at the Titans at a young age and his potential as a future leader was always something the national team were aware of, to the point where nobody would be surprised if he was given the reins of any team.
Since he captained South African to the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, there has been a belief that Markram could be the man truly anointed to end the Proteas’ major trophy drought in major tournaments.
Markram effectively an all-rounder
Markram is now effectively an all-rounder in the T20 format, capable of sneaking in four overs of his off-spin at a decent rate.
His batting speaks for itself, but Markram deserves an opportunity to lead the T20I side to show what he can do when steering the ship. Keep in mind, he has captained the Proteas on occasion in the past.
Markram key to Sunrisers’ success
The Sunrisers were given little chance of victory in the SA20 after assembling what appeared to be an underwhelming collection of overseas professionals.
However, Markram welcomed the signings and lauded their positive impact, which may not have been the case had they acquired several superstars.
Whenever a team plays above itself, as the Sunrisers did by winning the inaugural SA20, it points to excellent leadership.
With this accolade added to his CV, Markam should be in line for more leadership opportunities – either in the national team or foreign franchise leagues.