Markram Picks 2 SA Youngsters As 'Proper X-Factor' Ahead Of AUS, ENG Tours
Aiden Markram urges young batsmen Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis to seize opportunities in tours to Australia and England, prepping for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
South Africa's T20 captain, Aiden Markram, is keen for the team's young batsmen to seize the opportunity during upcoming limited-overs tours to Australia and England over the next eight weeks. This is a chance for them to further their careers and showcase their international potential.
South Africa has high expectations for Lhuan-dre Pretorius, a powerful teenage hitter, and Dewald Brevis, a prolific 22-year-old run-scorer who first appeared in the Indian Premier League three years ago. These tours are part of their preparation for next year's T20 World Cup.
'The last thing you want to do is to clip their wings. You sort of want to let them fly and let them do their thing," Markram said in a virtual press conference on Friday as South Africa prepared to leave for Australia. The team will play three T20 internationals in Darwin and Cairns later this month.
'I think we've seen on various stages around the world now that they are proper X-factor players and that they have taken to international cricket quite easily," he continued. 'So, I don't know if I have too much advice for them, besides the fact that they must keep taking the game on and not be scared of disappointments or failures.
'It's been great to see their progress. They're going to play a massive role moving forward in cricket in South Africa and that's the thing that we're quite excited about," Markram added.
Both players are included in the squad for three One Day Internationals against Australia following the T20 series.
South Africa will then head to England early next month for three ODIs and three T20s.
'For us as a team it'll be about fine tuning a lot of things and preparing for that T20 World Cup, so a great opportunity in Australia and then followed by England and if we can get closer towards another trophy, that'll be good," Markram told reporters.
South Africa finished as runners-up in the last T20 World Cup in the West Indies a year ago, and Markram was the hero of their World Test Championship win over Australia in June.
The next T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka in early 2026.
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