Cape Town [South Africa], October 26 (ANI): South Africa opener Aiden Markram has put personal milestones and batting records aside, saying his priority is to contribute to victories as the Proteas target another World Test Championship (WTC) final and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
"There's no better feeling than winning, whether it's a final or just a normal game. That's sort of where I feel like I'm at. I don't have a drive to try and average 45 at the end of my career. If it happens, it's going to happen on the back of this more recent approach. If it doesn't happen, I'm in complete peace with it. I just really hope along the way we can win more trophies, and if you can contribute towards that, then that's incredible," Markram said ahead of the third Test match against Australia, according to Cricinfo.
The 32-year-old has scored more Test centuries than any other member of South Africa's current Test squad, with eight hundreds and 3,315 runs in 52 matches. However, he believes his legacy will be defined more by team achievements than individual numbers.
"From an achievements point of view, I've completely parked it. I'm not going to go down as South Africa's best or most successful [batter]. At least, I don't think I will, from a numbers point of view," he said.
Markram, who captained South Africa to the Under-19 World Cup title, enjoyed a remarkable start to his Test career, scoring 380 runs in his first four innings, including two centuries. However, consistency proved difficult in the following years, prompting him to reassess his approach to the game.
"I wanted it way too much when I was younger and because of that, I put a lot of pressure on myself," he said, as per Cricinfo.
"I try to take the thoughts about my own game completely out of sight. I really just want to try and win games now. I feel like since I've changed to that mindset, it's helped me. When it doesn't go well, I'm a bit more lenient on myself," Markram added.
The change in outlook has also helped Markram focus on making meaningful contributions in important matches. His unbeaten century in the WTC final against Australia helped South Africa secure the title, an achievement he considers more significant than individual batting records.
"I know people are massively stats-driven, and the World Test Championship final was something where even if I am not going to go down as one of the top ten or 20, at least people will remember me for something. One, because we won, and two, because I was able to contribute. Those are the things I play for now," he said.
Markram has also enjoyed considerable success against Australia, averaging 56.84 in seven Tests against them, with three centuries. South Africa's ongoing series against Australia is level at 1-1 heading into the third Test in Cape Town.
Reflecting on his performances against the Australians, Markram said their competitive approach brings out the best in him.
"It's the nature of the opposition. We have the same sort of character and approach. They're similar to us, very competitive, and when you cross the boundary, you get into that same frame of mind. It's not to say it's always going to work, but I feel like when I'm in that frame of mind, I tend to be quite sharp and quite focused," said Markram.
South Africa are aiming to reach a second consecutive WTC final, scheduled for next June, while the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be held at home, is another major target.
"I believe we can make the final again. A lot was said last year about us making the final and the road to it, so now there's an extra fire and desire to get into the final, because we would have had to do it the extremely hard way. To go to Pakistan and India [in 2025], and with this home summer being huge against some quality opposition, there's a strong will to want to get in that final again, and it's a long way away, but the home [ODI] World Cup [in October-November 2027] is huge as well for us. We want to try to do something special there," he said.
For Markram, the objective remains clear: contributing to South Africa's success, regardless of where he stands in the record books. (ANI)
'I just really hope we can win more trophies': Aiden Markram shifts focus from personal records to team success
