Shukri Conrad happy with Proteas T20 progress despite loss in Tri-Series final
Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad is delighted with the progress with T20 side is making despite losing all of their matches against New Zealand in the Tri-Series.
Aiden Markram urges youngsters to play without fear as Proteas embark on Australia tour
Markram and his charges will three T20Is and three ODIs Down Under, with the series in the shortest format starting in Darwin on 10 August.
Young batters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis, as well as fast bowler Kwena Maphaka will all play their first senior international series in Australia.
Markram said about the trio: "For your young guys, the last thing you want to do is try to clip their wings. You want to let them fly and do their thing.
"I think we've seen it on various stages around the world now — in SA20 and elsewhere — that they are proper X-factor players who can transition to international cricket quite easily, and they've proven it now.
"I don't 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.
"But it's been great to see their progress at such a young age. They're going to play a massive role moving forward in South African cricket, and that's something we’re quite excited about."
It will be Markram's first series back on the field since being part of the Proteas line-up that beat Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June.
It will also be the first time that Markram and Shukri Conrad will team up as captain and head coach, respectively, as the pair ramp up preparations ahead of next year's T20 World Cup.
The skipper added: "I've worked with Shukri for a long time and he is excellent at unlocking the next level ability of players and I look forward to working with him with that and unlocking more for the guys that are now in the T20 mix."
New Zealand claim T20I tri-series trophy after Proteas falter at the death
The Proteas went down to a three-run defeat against New Zealand in the T20I tri-series final in Harare in a thrilling encounter that went down to the last ball.
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Shukri Conrad: Batsmen have 'flown past' Reeza Hendricks in Proteas pecking order
Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad has confirmed that veteran opener Reeza Hendricks has fallen out of favour in the national T20I setup, with several batters now ahead of him in the selection hierarchy.