Shukri Conrad’s empowering mantra has South Africa’s T20 side playing with freedom, according to their skipper Aiden Markram.
Conrad took the reins of his country’s white-ball teams in May after his success with the red-ball side that saw them qualify for (and ultimately win) the World Test Championship final against Australia in June.
Although they lost the opening BKT Tyres T20 by 17 runs, South Africa responded with a 53-run win over the hosts on Tuesday, the Rainbow Nation’s largest-ever T20 win over Australia.
And Markram is expecting more from Conrad’s new crew, who have been implored to trust their instincts and “entertain”.
“He tries to unlock the best versions of the players,” Markram told reporters on Friday.
“He tries to really open them up and free them up and it allows the guys to really express themselves.
Dewald Brevis announces himself with blazing 125no
“He always speaks about unlocking ‘the state of genius’, which feels like an impossible task but he chips away at that and then encourages guys to take the game on.
“The guys resonate well with that and then it rubs off on our performance.”
Asking his troops to play their own brand of cricket has already paid dividends on this tour with some of the squad’s young members excelling in the opening matches in Darwin.
Kwena Maphaka, 19, bowled a fiery spell in the first match which saw him take four wickets and dish out a bit of lip to the Aussie batters.
And Dewald Brevis, 22, shook off a preconceived notion about how he should play to hit a record-breaking century in his own style in the second game.
Conrad has wasted no time in shaking up the personnel of the squad either by casting aside players who had previously been walk-up starters.
Veteran Tabraiz Shamsi has more T20I wickets (89) than any other South African but inexperienced spinners Nqaba Peter and Senuran Muthusamy had moved “ahead in the pecking order” according to the coach.
Opener Reeza Hendricks played all nine matches at last year’s T20 World Cup, which saw South Africa finish runner’s up, but he too appears no longer in Conrad’s plans.
“There are players who have flown past Reeza,” Conrad said last month.
Teenage Maphaka impresses with fast four-for
“He’s been a great performer for South Africa, especially in this format, but it’s no secret that Aiden (Markram) and Ryan (Rickelton) are my preferred opening batters.”
Hendricks partnered the now-retired Quinton de Kock at the top of the order in last year’s World Cup final loss to India in Barbados, with Markram the side’s No.3.
And in a similar vein to his Australia counterpart Mitch Marsh who has also shifted up a spot, Markram sees himself opening up for the Proteas for at least the next six months.
“Yeah, it is,” Markram responded when asked if opening the batting in February’s T20 World Cup was his plan.
“Going through our squads and (looking at) the players that we’ve got around, we think that’s the best fit.
“We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are really destructive, a lot more destructive than myself.
“And we feel it’s better off for myself and Ricks (Rickelton) to be up top.
“I did it a bit at the IPL, (I’m) starting to do it now again at international cricket.
“It’s an exciting role. It’s nice to be able to bat in the Powerplay.”
Coincidently, Markram was Marsh’s opening partner at the most recent IPL for Justin Langer’s Lucknow Super Giants.
Markram (445) and Marsh (627) both finished in the competition’s top-15 run-scorers.
The South Africa captain has started the series with scores of 12 off six balls and 18 off 13.
BKT Tyres T20I Series – Australia v South Africa
August 10: Australia won by 17 runs
August 12: South Africa won by 53 runs
August 16: Third T20I v South Africa, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, 7pm AEST
Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen (out with concussion), Matthew Short (out with injury), Adam Zampa
South Africa T20 squad: Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Rassie van der Dussen
BKT Tyres ODI Series – Australia v South Africa
August 19: First ODI v South Africa, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, 2:30pm AEST
August 22: Second ODI v South Africa, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST
August 24: Third ODI v South Africa, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST
Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa
South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen