Cricket’s spirit alive and well, says Proteas star

AIDEN Markram is convinced the spirit of cricket is still alive, despite the fallout from the Australia ball-tampering scandal.

The 23-year-old South Africa opener and his teammates found themselves at the centre of an international furore during their 3-1 Test series victory, which saw the tourists’ skipper Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft banned for conspiring to alter the condition of the ball.

However Markram, who distinguished himself with two centuries in the series, believes the game’s integrity remains largely intact.

Asked if the spirit of cricket still exists, he said: “I do think it exists, yes. On the field, there are a lot of pressures to deal with and a lot of competitive juices that get flowing, and that’s when it’s the toughest part to try to keep it in the spirit of cricket.

“But definitely afterwards or after something, let’s say, happens that is not in the spirit of cricket, you get your apology very quickly and you get your reasons behind it.

“If the reasons make sense to you, then you accept your apology; if not, you try to look past it. For as long as I play, wherever I play in the world, it’s something I’ll encourage and drive forward because at the end of the day, it is the gentleman’s game and it’s a big part of cricket itself.”

Markram and his teammates were innocent bystanders as the drama unfolded during the third Test in Cape Town, and he admits they were stunned when they learned what had transpired. “We were very shocked,” he said.