'Pretty happy that we're not playing here again' - Markram glad to skip Trinidad pitch for final

South Africa's captain, Aiden Markram, shared his thoughts on the much-discussed pitch at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad after his team advanced to the final of the T20 World Cup 2024. Markram expressed relief that the final will be played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, as the Trinidad pitch posed significant challenges due to its uneven bounce.

The tricky conditions in Trinidad saw Afghanistan collapse to just 56 runs, the lowest total in a T20 World Cup semi-final. Despite initial struggles, South Africa managed to chase down the target in 8.5 overs, thanks to key performances from Markram and Reeza Hendricks.

Reflecting on the match, Markram acknowledged the difficulties faced by batters throughout the tournament but highlighted that T20 cricket should not always favour batters.

"Yeah, I mean T20 cricket as a whole, you want entertainment. The wickets that we've had throughout the competition have been pretty challenging. Tonight's wicket was pretty challenging once again. It's hard to tell that a wicket is not good because it can't just always be a batter's game, but I think if we reflect on this wicket, we'll probably be pretty happy that we're not playing here again," Markram told the media in the post-match press-conference, as quoted by India Today.

Also Read: Twitter Reactions: South Africa thrash Afghanistan to book maiden World Cup final ticket

He stressed that despite the challenging conditions, both teams faced the same wicket challenges, underscoring the need to adapt and focus on securing victories by capitalizing on positives.

"But having said that, still taking the positives we can. Wickets are tough. Wickets are the same for both teams on the night. So, finding a way to win is probably the most important thing," he added.

Markram's leadership has taken South Africa to their first-ever T20 World Cup final, a historic achievement for the Proteas. The final, scheduled for June 29 at the Providence Stadium, promises a fresh challenge and a chance for South Africa to showcase their skills on a different pitch.