The forgotten prodigy of South Africa - Aiden Markram

Nobody would possibly remember him now. But before we get to know him, let us get a few things clear.

It had just taken Kagiso Rabada two years to get a clean sweep in the 2016 CSA awards, since his U-19 campaign in 2014.

Rabada was the man of the match in the semi-final and a decent outing in the final as well. He made all the headlines for his team with his rapid pace and bowling strength and rightly so, he got his call-up relatively early.

Even Andile Phehlukwayo made his international debut as an all-rounder in the recently held one-dayers against Australia. He played an excellent hand in the third one-dayer, to play along with David Miller, to run down 371. He was also a part of that campaign.

Not only these two, even Yaseen Valli has got a contract with Gauteng in the domestic league as well. Just so the readers can get this in perspective, Gauteng is perhaps the most successful domestic team in South Africa, with more than forty titles, including South African Airways Three-Day Challenge titles for the past two years.

Even Quinton De Kock graduated from this team.

De Kock, if the readers can remember, was a part of the U-19 team that made the semi-finals of 2012 U-19 tournament in Australia. He amassed 284 runs and instigated five dismissals to make a name for himself, which eventually led to his call-up to the Johannesburg-based Lions franchise.

All these players made it to the international scene quicker than what most expected.

However, it was not the same for South Africa’s second-only captain, who won any multinational event. Aiden Markram was the captain of the Proteas colts when they lifted it in 2014 in UAE.

Not only because he was the captain that he deserved a chance, but he was the Man of the Tournament in UAE.

Of all people, he got left behind.

When Virat Kohli-led India won the U-19 tournament in 2008, he was immediately offered a contract by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the debut season of IPL. Mitchell Marsh, who led Australia to victory in the next edition, was offered a contract by Deccan Chargers and later by Pune Warriors, but for Markram, he was not even picked by any Ram Slam franchise, let alone be any IPL contract.

He was left to ply his trade for the Northerns, perhaps the worst domestic team in the country. This under-performed outfit has won its first ever major trophy since 2006, by hoisting the Africa T20 cup in 2015.

The primary reason for him being so rudely overlooked is the discrepancy of the domestic structure. It played a toll upon Kevin Pietersen’s career when his selection for Kwa-Zulu Natal was jeopardised by Gulam Bodi, on the basis of the racial quotas.

Such is the irony that even the player who led his country to their first-ever World Cup triumph, at any level, is let down by it.

At a time, when South Africa’s national side is grooming future players like De Kock, Rabada, and Bavuma, if they can nurture a future captain in Markram, it would be all for the good.

South African One-day outfit, is by no way, balanced. Rilee Rossouw is yet to show his consistency outside his country and so is Miller and Behardien. Colin Ingram was pursued long despite his persistent failures and unless they find stable, consistent players, especially in the middle-order, it would be highly unlikely they would have quality, consistent success abroad.

Markram boasts an impressive First-class average of 45 from 37 innings with a 60-six per cent conversion rate, phenomenal for a player who is just twenty-two.

Yet unless Cricket South Africa changes their selection policies, top talents like Markram, despite his young age, would fade away like his ex-Northerns captain Vaughn Van Jaarsveld, another example of misuse of talent in the rainbow nation.