The second season of SA20 is underway in South Africa with defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, led by Aiden Markram, hoping to repeat the success of the last year. Following his title winning run with the franchise, Markram was also named the captain of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, a testament to his ever-improving leadership credentials.
Markram has been projected as the next South Africa captain with fast bowling great Allan Donald endorsing the 29-year-old’s claim to takeover the reins, especially in white-ball cricket.
“He’s (Markram) been long talked about as a potential captain. There’s no doubt and even the CEO said that Aiden Markram is going to be the next South African captain, maybe in all three formats – not what really happens these days. Players, especially captains, take a lot of pressure on themselves, captaining all three formats,” Donald said.
“In terms of white (limited-overs cricket), there’s no doubt (about him), I just love his demeanour. He (Markram) is calm, he is collected, he looks like he has captained for a very long time. I think he just has it in him. He has natural leadership in him,” he added.
Donald, who played 72 Tests and 164 ODIs between 1992 and 2003, also feels that Markram is ready to also takeover as South Africa Test captain.
“Whenever he (Markram) has taken over in the white ball format from Bavuma, I think he’s done a fantastic job. I just think what he is doing in SA20 with aplomb, I just love the way he goes about, he has his way. I think captains come and go and South Africa need him in all white ball formats and maybe even as a Test captain. I think that he’ll be ready to do so. There’s no question about it,” Donald said.
