Was great experience playing in IPL and learning on the job, says Markram
Oct 12, 2021
Dubai [UAE], October 12 : South Africa batter Aiden Markram has said it was a great experience for him to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Punjab Kings.
After spending four weeks with Punjab Kings in the UAE for the IPL, Markram has said that conditions are easiest for batting in Abu Dhabi, and most difficult in Sharjah.
"It was a great experience. I was in a less familiar role and it was nice to be exposed to that at a high standard of cricket and to learn on the job. In T20 cricket, at a World Cup or domestic or international series, results come down to the last three overs if not the last ball," ESPNcricinfo quoted Markram as saying.
"It was good to be exposed to that because I'm sure games are going to go to the wire at the World Cup. It's about dealing with that pressure in the moment when two to three balls could change the whole outcome of the game," he added.
Talking about the conditions in the UAE, Markram said: "Each ground was different. That was something I didn't expect; I thought it would be quite generic. But each ground had its own set of challenges."
"The pitches weren't the easiest to bat on, but as the batter gets in he can still take the game away from the opposition. It's tougher for newer batters coming in. Sharjah was probably the toughest batting wicket out of the three here, and Abu Dhabi was probably the nicest to bat on," he added.
South Africa will kickstart its T20 World Cup campaign on October 23 in the match against Australia at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
