Proteas coach Ottis Gibson says Aiden Markram showed glimpses of being a great leader throughout the ODI series against India.

Markram hasn’t had the best of starts as captain. Thrown into the deep end after Faf du Plessis’ injury, the 23-year-old was given the task of leading a second-string Proteas side.

He has suffered three losses and a win as skipper against a tough India side at the peak of their powers. India will take a 4-1 lead into the final game at Centurion on Friday.

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Nevertheless, the bad results have not deterred Gibson from acknowledging Markram’s potential as a future leader.

‘This was a decision for the future, not a decision for now,’ said Gibson.

‘Aiden has shown all the hallmarks of someone who is going to be a good leader and with Faf out, we thought we could give him the opportunity.

‘Looking back, I think it was the right decision. I’m not going to second guess myself.’

The responsibility of the captaincy seemed to weigh heavily on Markram, as he scored just 8, 32, 22 and 32.

‘I don’t know if the whole responsibility around captaining has been too much for him,’ said Gibson. ‘But it seems as if he is trying to bat in a way that is not the Aiden Markram I saw in September. I’ve spoken to him about that.’

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