South Africa coach Shukri Conrad backed skipper Aiden Markram after the World Test Championship (WTC) final winning hero failed to perform in the three-match T20I series against Australia. He reckons that the Proteas batter is close to achieving exceptional performance levels in a few more games.
Markram had a forgettable outing in T20Is; he has gone 31 innings without a T20I half-century, managed only 31 runs in three matches in the recently concluded T20 series against Australia.
A final over thriller saw Australia seal a win in a closely-fought series-decider in Cairns, with Glenn Maxwell powering an unbeaten 62* runs off 36 deliveries to propel the hosts over the line off the second last ball of the series decider.
With this win, Australia registered 2-1 series win against South Africa. Glenn Maxwell (62* runs off 36 balls) regained his form and was awarded the Player of the Match, whereas Tim David (150 runs in three matches) won the Player of the Series award.
"I know it's a different format, but in the World Test Championship final not so long ago, Aiden showed exactly what he is about. And I'm sure he is a couple of games away from unlocking that state of genius," Shukri Conrad said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Conrad believes that South Africa were a "batter light" but explained that if the players were willing to play with a little more self-confidence, it could work in the team's favour.
"If we want to be brave, we have got to select attacks to beat a team like Australia and if I can nudge a batting unit into playing a certain way where we are a batter light and I concede we were a batter light, imagine what they can do when we have got a properly balanced side," he added.
Australia defeated South Africa in the first and third T20I, whereas Dewald Brevis' stunning maiden century in the second T20I, and a clinical bowling effort helped the visitors to register a 53-run win. Australia and South Africa will next lock horns in the three-match ODI series starting Tuesday, 19 August in Cairns.