Aiden Markram feels humbled by his selection as captain for South Africa A and looks forward to their tour of England in June.
The 22-year-old, who is renowned for captaining the famous SA U19 World Cup-winning side, stepped up his game this season after taking a few years off to study.
He had a magnificent domestic campaign for the Titans, and was rightfully rewarded by being selected for the SA A side.
Markram feels humbled to be in the presence of experienced campaigners, singling out Dale Steyn, who joins Temba Bavuma as one of four Proteas Test players selected in the four-day squad.
‘It’s a big blessing and quite humbling to be announced as captain, but it’s going to be a great opportunity to rub shoulders with senior players and experienced cricketers like Dale Steyn,’ Markram told the Titans’ Facebook page.
‘I’m not going to demand too much, especially being such a young guy. They probably know a bit more than me, but it’s a unique opportunity.
‘I’m going to try to lead from the front with my performance and just engage with them and adapt to various situations in the game.
‘Going forward into this series I can look back on my time at (captaining SA Under-19) and I look forward to the challenge of leading the side [in June] and for what lies ahead.’
Markram hit 565 runs @ 51.36, which included two centuries and two half-centuries in the Sunfoil Series.
He followed this up by ending third on the One Day Cup top-scorers list, ending with 508 runs at an average of 56.44. He hit two centuries, which included a record-breaking man-of-the-match performance of 161 off 123 balls in the One Day Cup final to help his side lift the trophy.
The first Test against the England Lions begins on 21 June at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury.
SA A squad:
Heino Kuhn (Titans), Aiden Markram – captain (Titans), Theunis de Bruyn (Knights), Temba Bavuma (Highveld Lions), Khaya Zondo (Dolphins), Jason Smith (Cape Cobras), Heinrich Klaasen – wicketkeeper (Titans), Dwaine Pretorius (Highveld Lions), Rudi Second (Knights), Dane Piedt (Cape Cobras), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Dane Paterson (Cape Cobras), Duanne Olivier (Knights), Junior Dala (Titans), Beuran Hendricks (Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Cape Cobras)
