The focus is to win the PowerPlay, says Markram

Markram, captain

South Africa captain Aiden Markram insists his impressive World Cup record as skipper is a reflection of the group rather than individual leadership.

“I’ve been fortunate to lead very strong teams,” Markram said ahead of the T20 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. “There’s a great mix of youth and experience, and you lean heavily on the senior guys when you have doubts. If the numbers look good, it’s because of the group as a whole.”

Despite a commanding win over New Zealand earlier in the tournament, Markram expects a different contest. “I wish cricket were that easy. They’re a quality side, and a semifinal is a fresh start.”

On his own batting, Markram acknowledged a conscious shift in approach. “Opening in T20s means you have to take the game on. The focus is to win the PowerPlay. If you’re still in after that, you can be smarter, but the intent up front has been conscious.”

Unbeaten so far, South Africa is being labelled as the favourite, but Markram dismissed the noise. “That’s just different people’s opinions. As a team, we’re focused on consistently putting together strong performances and playing the exciting brand of cricket we’ve worked hard to build over the past 18 months.”