‘Consistency over sixes’: Markram backs Pant, explains Shami’s true value for LSG

KOLKATA: Lucknow Super Giants’ Aiden Markram isn’t the kind of a batter who will go out there and start smacking sixes. He goes about his job without much flourish but delivers what is required. Excerpts from a conversation with South Africa’s white-ball captain...

LSG have three players who have led their national sides in you, Nicholas Pooran and Mitch Marsh. Does captain Rishabh Pant bounce off ideas with you?

Yes, he does. It’s always a fine balance because it’s his team and he wants to do it his own way, which is important. The nice thing is whenever there’s a bit of uncertainty or he is in need of an opinion, he liaises with myself, Mitch, Nikki, obviously (strategic advisor) Kane Williamson.

Pant seems to be in good form...

Any team that has Rishabh firing is a better team. He’s an absolute entertainer with serious abilities. He always wants to lead from the front. He’s got a lot of pride in his performance. You can’t keep a good player down for too long.

Unlike last year, LSG doesn’t have any injury problems this time...

Definitely better than last year. We’ve seen really good things from the pace attack in the first two games. Obviously pacer (Mohammed) Shami joining with his ability and experience is huge.

Shami was brilliant in the last game...

There’s no one really like him. To have him in the team and also have him sharing that knowledge with some of the younger pacers like Prince Yadav and Mayank (Yadav) is invaluable.

You’ve evolved as a T20 player...

It was more about understanding my role. You have a lot of guys now playing T20 cricket that are able to hit sixes from the first ball. My way of doing things might look a bit different. Still playing Test cricket, you can’t develop the technical side of the T20 game. I have to work with what I have and that’s more about trying to hit good cricket shots and trusting that that’ll work on the day. So there might be a few less sixes but if I can still strike at the required rate, that makes me happy.

You’re known to be very calm. Have your ever lost your cool on the field?

Of course. You’re only human. I guess over a period of time, if you’re not performing, you get very frustrated. It did happen when I was a bit younger. Over time, I’ve settled down. I remember having conversations with Hashim Amla about it and he just said that cricket is one of the reasons we live, but not the only reason. Trying to be consistent, whether you’re doing well or not, is important as a human being. That’s sort of now what I strive towards managing.

Would you call the 136 in the WTC final your most defining knock?

It’ll go down as one of the coolest days of my life. The emotions were a roller-coaster for both teams and naturally we were chasing that first trophy. To have done it at a place like Lord’s, with our friends and family around, it was special. It’s a memory that will live with me forever.

What do you think of Rajasthan Royals’ young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?

It’s unbelievable to watch him, to be fair. You try to think back to when I was 15, I think I would have done well to get the ball to the boundary for four. He’s walking out in IPL and smacking sixes. He is completely fearless. You acknowledge it, respect it. I’m sure he’s going to have a huge future ahead of him and he’s going to have a lot of us cricket fans glued to the TV.