Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj has made it clear that captaining South Africa across all three formats is very much part of his ambitions.

The left-armer captained the Hollywoodbets Dolphins to their second Momentum One-Day Cup trophy in three years after the Durban-based team finished top of the log before the Covid-19 pandemic ended the competition.

Watch: Rewind: De Kock’s first ODI 100

Maharaj, who has often been viewed as just a red-ball cricketer, is adamant that he wants to stake his claim in the shorter formats as well, emphasising his life-long dream of lifting the World Cup for South Africa.

‘I’ve really enjoyed captaincy from the time I have been handed the opportunity over the past season. I really want to captain the Proteas. It’s been my dream – not many people in the Proteas set-up know that, a few of them that are close to me know that.

‘I do want to captain the South African team across all three formats and I want to raise a World Cup trophy in my hands and as the leader of the side. Apart from wanting to play for the Proteas, as a childhood dream, captaining the team to a World Cup-winning campaign would be everything I’ve ever dreamed of,’ Maharaj said.

The 29-year-old has only seven ODI matches under his belt but was part of the Proteas team that beat Australia 3-0 earlier this year. This could suggest that under Mark Boucher’s management, Maharaj may indeed have a long future in white-ball cricket as well.

That also includes a spot in the T20 team, but with Tabraiz Shamsi already a settled figure in the set-up, Maharaj acknowledges that he will have to work hard to find a spot in all three forms of the game.

‘I have to buy my time in ODI cricket, and in Test cricket as well, to score some big runs to help my chances of selection. If I can help the team go No 1 across all three formats then I’m doing my job really well.’

Photo: Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images