Like Mickey from the epic Rocky movies, Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad remains firmly in the increasingly under-pressure Aiden Markrams corner.
Markram has endured a torrid last six months, having had to deal with the heartbreak of leading the Proteas in a T20 World Cup final defeat, which has since carried through to a lean run with the bat in the shortest format of the game.
Equally, his most recent red-ball outings in Bangladesh yielded scores of just six, 20 and 33 suggesting that the 30-year-old may be immersed in an overall slump.
But the SA Test mentor has come out swinging in defence of Markram ahead of next weeks first Test against Sri Lanka, which starts at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.
I dont know what the problem is or even why there is a conversation about Aiden. Hes the best opening batter in the country, and he will continue to play and be a leader in the Test side. He is a hell of a player, said Conrad.
