Aiden Markram expresses desire to lead South Africa
South African opener Aiden Markram has expressed interest to lead the national Test side. With Faf du Plessis stepping aside as captain, Quinton de Kock was appointed the skipper of the white-ball teams (ODIs and T20Is). However, the slot for Test captaincy has been vacant ever since. Interestingly, Cricket South Africa (CSA) Director Graeme Smith earlier clarified that Quinton won't lead the Test team.
Markram is elated to be considered for captaincy
"It is just nice to be considered and I would give an absolute arm and a leg to be able to do it, but in the same breath I don't want to become desperate about it," Markram said in a recent interview released by CSA.
South Africa won the 2014 Under-19 WC under Markram
Markram showed his attributes as a captain when he led Proteas to victory in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup. However, his recent batting form has put him under the scanner. In 2019, he could muster only 372 runs from seven Tests at an average of 28.61. The 25-year-old averaged 33.71 in the ODI format, having scored 236 runs from ten matches.
Leading in all three formats is challenging: Smith
Previously, Smith hinted at appointing a new face as South Africa's Test captain. "It's not going to be Quinton. He will be our white-ball captain, but from a workload and mental capacity aspect we want to keep him fresh," he said. He added, "From personal experience, I know captaining all three formats is challenging. We don't want to overburden him."
'I enjoy captaincy', says Markram
Markram said he would love to lead the Proteas, but is not desperate to grab the role. "It's one of those things where if it were to happen it would be amazing. But if not, there are plenty of good leaders within the environment that will definitely take the team," he stated. "I really enjoy captaincy. I enjoy the responsibilities that come with it."
South Africa are scheduled to tour West Indies in July
South Africa are scheduled to tour West Indies for a two-Test series in July. However, the threat of cancellation looms due to coronavirus pandemic. Besides, it will be interesting to see if Markram is handed Test captaincy for the tour.
