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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

June 22, 2019

Aiden Markram

London, England, UK

Q. After yesterday's game, have you guys started with permutations, what needs to happen for you guys to somehow still make it into the semis, or is it all just -- is there a feeling that it's done?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Look, I don't -- we definitely never feel done and out. We've sort of tried to put a lot of focus back completely on to us going forward. It's obviously really important that we win the remaining three of our games, and if there's outside chance of qualifying, that would be incredible.

But the only way we're going to do that is by winning the next three games. A lot of focus is on us at the moment, us as a squad and trying to win the next three games and from there we'll take it as it comes.

Q. Just after the last game and how you lost the game, has it been difficult? You had one day off yesterday. Has it been difficult, just the mood in the camp and to lift the players for tomorrow?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Naturally after the game, it was -- it was quite a tough one to swallow because obviously it was quite an important game for us leading to it and it was really close. It obviously went down to the wire and Kane Williamson played incredible to get his team going, something we can learn from.

Look, the mood, naturally it was a bit down, but I think we've done a bit of our sulking and moping around. The energy in the changing room since we've been here is really good, and I also think it helps the family lies arrived yesterday. So the guys are feeling slightly more refreshed up and for the next three games.

Q. All through the tournament, the whole top order, a lot of starts without anyone kicking on and getting that big score. Has that been the difference ultimately between success and failure, and what do you put that down to?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Look, I think it's sort of the modern game. A start is almost -- it's really important to get yourself in, because we've seen the knocks and the magnitude of knocks that some of the top players in the world are doing at the World Cup. They are really scoring big hundreds.

I think, look, for us as a batting unit, we are pretty much doing the hard work up front. Like you said, we are getting in and we are not kicking on. Like you mention, it does definitely set you back. Every time you use the wicket, naturally the read will drop and the new batter needs to get himself in and it takes a bit of time. It's definitely something we are looking to rectify.

We pride ourselves on getting big hundreds as individuals because that sets up the team and puts the team in a big position. We are putting our focus on there. The positive is that we have been getting in, so we are doing the tough part fairly well up front, and now it's about converting it into really big scores.

Q. We know that there will be a handful of retirements beyond this World Cup, but for players like yourself, Lungi, Kagi who have got many years ahead of you, these next three games, what does it represent, especially you as a top order batsman, how important is it for you to get the runs and stamp your authority?
AIDEN MARKRAM: From a confidence perspective, it will be quite important. It will be nice going home, whenever we go home, knowing that we have managed to put performances together at a World Cup. So it is important for us.

Going forward, I think we are trying to not look too much into the future in terms of players retiring and things like that. It's something that really is outside of our control as players and as young players, especially.

So we are aware of what could potentially happen, and as a younger group of players, we are aware that a couple years' time, we need to make sure that we can make this team a better team and even better environment to play cricket in. So we are slowly but surely working our way around.

I think if you look at guys like Kagi and Lungi, they have actually done incredibly well in their young career so far. So it's something we are putting a bit of focus on but I think at the end of the day, in a World Cup your focus primarily is on cricket itself and not too much who is going to move on afterwards and things like that.

Q. How much of an inspiration do you think South Africa might have taken from what Sri Lanka did against England yesterday, in terms of the way he played, but also what those kinds of results could do to the standings?
AIDEN MARKRAM: It was a great game of cricket, and it just proves that as soon as a team clicks on the day, any team at this World Cup can beat any other team. And that's why I say we really kind of focus on ourselves because if we put together our best game of cricket, it should put us in a good position to hopefully win games.

So it's nice to see that a team like Sri Lanka with great players, and maybe have been struggling for form, as have we, have been able to overcome one of the favourites. It's definitely inspirational like you said. We can definitely take a bit of learning from that. But a lot of the focus is on us really trying to put our best game of cricket together to see how far it can take us.

Q. On the failure to convert good starts, you guys are, as you say, getting the starts. Have you put your finger on why that is? Is it an inability to climb through the gears, a pressure once you're in, you feel the stress of having to put a big score for your team? Can you put your finger on why you're struggling to convert the starts?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Yeah, look, each batter, it's a different reason. It's situations in the game whereas a batter, you and your partner might also be deciding we are going to try to put pressure on this bowler and it doesn't come off, execution let's you down but the thinking is right.

I tell you a lot of it is just down to execution. I think if you look back to the batters that have got out, the dismissals have been from either a really good bowl, you look at the bowl that Hash got from Mitchell, that's a really good ball, the ball Faf got, it was a great yorker. Not too much of it has come down to bad thinking. I think the thinking has been right and then at times, our execution has just let us down.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit personally about your experience of playing at the World Cup, as opposed to before the tournament, maybe there was even a question of whether you would even be on the squad. What's it been like, despite the results?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Yeah, look, it's been tough because of the results like you say. But looking past that, it's been one really cool experience. To play cricket on the biggest stage in the world is quite a privilege, and to be playing for your country, is just a privilege, just as much a privilege.

I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I've thoroughly enjoyed the pressures that come with competing at a World Cup and we've all seen it's not been smooth sailing for us. But I do believe that you are learning the most when things aren't going well. There's a lot of things we are taking from this experience.

Like I mentioned, by no means are we just going to lay down and roll over. We are going to compete as hard as we can for the next three games with the focus on winning all three of them and seeing how far it can take us.

Q. You mentioned learning from Kane Williamson. If you can just tell us specifically what sort of things you think the batting unit can learn from him, and then you mentioned the side of the batting trying to convert good starts. Where does intent fit into all of that, the two competing factors of it?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Yeah, look, firstly on Kane's knock, it was -- obviously we all know he's one of the best batters in the world, and you could really see that he knew, that if he was the guy that batted -- he was going to get really close, if not win the game. It was almost like he absolutely backed that. Colin came in and played a great knock, too. To get that momentum going for them.

But you could see Kane really knew what his role was in that situation. His role was to be the guy to go through and for a guy like Colin to come in and express himself and play freely, but learning comes from really identifying what your role is in a certain situation and backing it and believing it, at the end of the day, if you do hang in till the end, the result will go your way.

Just in terms of the intent, it's a tough one, I think like you say. There's always somewhere in between the two. I think we are trying to play a brand of cricket where we are looking to be a positive. But conditions also dictate how positive you can be and the wicket the other day was a pretty tough wicket. It was quite slow and it was holding up. We couldn't quite express ourselves as much as we wanted to. We realised it was going to be a game of setting up the innings and trying to capitalise. Yeah, a lot of it is dependent on conditions, I suppose.

Q. Which Pakistani bowlers do you feel difficult for South African batsman?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Look, we've played a recent series against Pakistan. Hafeez wasn't part of that series, so that will be a new sort of challenge for some of us who haven't faced him.

But as a whole, I think Pakistan have got a really good bowling unit. Mohammad Amir is back and in form, and obviously Ahmed has had attack. It will be a nice challenge to face them at lords, and as a whole, I think, yeah, their bowling lineup is one we definitely can't take lightly.

Q. You've been called a future leader and future Proteas captain since you came on to the international stage. Is that something you think about, or does it take a backseat as you try and establish big runs?
AIDEN MARKRAM: Look, there's not been a lot of focus on it at all to be honest with you. I'm really just trying to keep my spot on the side, so I'm just trying to make sure I'm scoring loads of runs as I can for the side and saving as many as I can in the field. That's sort of been where my main focus has been.

I think naturally just once you're in an environment for a period of time, you do think with your leadership reign and how things could be better and what we have really done well and what's worked and what hasn't. I think that's just a natural thing.

But in terms of putting emphasis on captaincy itself, like I said, I haven't given it too much thought. I'm mainly just trying to stay on the side.

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