"A proud and special feeling" - Aiden Markram on South Africa's journey to T20WC 2024 Final
Captain Aiden Markram said ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final 2024 that his South Africa side were proud and excited to have broken new ground at the tournament.
South Africa had lost their previous seven semi-finals across formats, making him the first skipper to lead the Proteas into a trophy match.
And he added that plenty of players from previous generations had sent the current squad good luck wishes.
ICC Digital Insider Crystal Arnold and former England captain Naseer Hussain preview the upcoming big final between South Africa and India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
"There's been a lot of support back home from past players, which is special for us as a group," he said.
"They're the guys who inspired us when we were younger, and to now be making them proud but also having their support means a lot to us as a team."
Asked about what it meant to be the man leading the side that had blazed a trail for future South African sides, he replied: "I don't see it as it was me that got us into this position at all. It's been a squad effort, and a squad that's been together for a few years now that's been on a journey.
"The journey has now finally got us here to our first final, which is a proud and special feeling, not just for me but for everyone involved in the squad.
"To have an opportunity to win our first trophy, you have to be in a final to have that opportunity, and to be involved in that is a massive achievement for us."
Anrich Nortje has led the way with the ball for South Africa this ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
And he said that the busy tournament schedule meant he had not had too much time to think about the possibility of winning.
"Whether you win or whether you lose, you've gone a step further at least, and for us that's going in the right direction."
About the prospect of facing India - the other unbeaten side in the competition - he said: "It's a new game of cricket. We all know India's a great team. Us as a team of South Africans have been training in the right direction in the last couple of years but maybe not progressed in tournaments as far as we would have liked.
"An exciting occasion against a good opposition in India but a nice opportunity for us as the Proteas as well."
The captain said that he thought his team had found a way to win even in the closest of encounters - and that everyone now understood their roles within the squad.
"It's given the team the belief that you can win from any position, which I think is important," he said.