Conrad says he’s glad Proteas are favourites for semifinal

Shukri Conrad doesn’t want the Proteas to shy away from being the favourites for Wednesday’s T20 World Cup semifinal, saying the label was merited.

“We will probably start as favourites, because we are the only unbeaten side,” said the Proteas head coach. “I don’t know if that adds to the pressure. The semifinal is pressure enough. There is no added pressure. I’m glad that we are favourites.”

“I’ve felt that as a South African team, you want to be able to play as a favourite.”

The Proteas wrapped up the Super Eights phase with a five-wicket victory over neighbours Zimbabwe in Delhi on Sunday. They travel to Kolkata on Monday to prepare for New Zealand, who they beat in the first group stage two weeks ago.

Other than a few strategies from that encounter, that result will mean very little for what happens Wednesday, with very different conditions expected at Eden Gardens.

The Proteas have prided themselves on how well they have read and adapted to different kinds of pitches throughout the tournament. It has helped that they’ve played five matches at the same ground in Ahmedabad (albeit at different times and on various surfaces) - which Conrad joked had become their home venue - but is not the sole reason for their success at this year’s tournament.

As they showed Sunday, the Proteas are also a resilient bunch, knowing how to absorb pressure and when to revert it onto the opposition. Although victory was ultimately achieved with 13 balls left, Zimbabwe didn’t make it easy for their regional neighbours.

“It wasn’t the most fluent chase. But we got a lot out of today. All the batters we wanted to spend time in the middle, did,” said Conrad.

Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock were both dismissed by Sikander Raza inside the power play and it took a 50-run fourth wicket between Dewald Brevis and David Miller, to put SA’s innings back on track as they chased down 154.

Even better for SA, George Linde spent half an hour at the crease finishing on 30 not out, having earlier opened the bowling - not very successfully, although he later claimed a wicket. If conditions at Eden Gardens are slightly slower and the bounce lower than it was in Ahmedabad, having Linde as a second frontline spin bowling option will be important.

South Africa is unique among the tournament’s top sides in that they don’t have a wrist spinner in their squad, but Conrad explained that the team has leaned into its historic strengths.

“We don’t have wrist or mystery spinners. Something SA cricket has always had is fast bowlers. We have thrown our weight behind that. Without the wrist spin or mystery spin, what is going to be important in India? If you can nail a yorker, some change ups and maybe - on some pitches that might be iffy - good pace can do the trick. It’s kind of worked out for us.”

Conrad pointed to Luingi Ngidi’s expert control of his various slower balls as being a point of difference for the bowling unit. “We might not have left SA with a mystery spinner, but we have a mystery seamer in Lungi Ngidi, who almost fills that role,” said Conrad.

Ngidi reached 90 wickets on Sunday, moving past his good friend Tabraiz Shamsi to become SA’s leading wicket-taker in the T20 format.

In addition to embracing the pressure of a semifinal, Conrad said experience of playing on the big stage, even when the outcome has not gone the team’s way as was the case in 2024, has provided important lessons which will stand the team in good stead.

“When you keep making semifinals and finals, eventually you will win one, but if you don’t make it you can’t win anything,” he said.