New Proteas red-ball coach Shukri Conrad has had a long and storied path to the top cricket job in the country. Now he’s there he wants to put every inch of the experience into taking South Africa back to the summit of Test cricket.
With new white-ball coach Rob Walter still at the helm of the Central Stags as he finishes his commitments with the New Zealand outfit, Conrad was tasked with overseeing the recent three-match ODI series against England, which the Proteas won 2-1. Walter will join South Africa for the series against West Indies, which starts end of February and comprises two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.
The 55-year-old Conrad, long part of CSA’s system, has worked in the national academy as head coach and with various SA ‘A’, invitational and emerging sides before he was appointed South Africa under-19 coach. Put to Conrad that it’s been a journey of a thousand miles to reach the senior national post, the personable coach let out a laugh and said it felt like it was a lot longer than that.
“There were times when I wondered if it was ever going to happen,” Conrad told TimesLIVE Premium from his car after doing his school run in Cape Town, in reference to the Proteas’ head coaching role. “But I believe it’s all about timing, and if it had happened a few hundred miles back, who’s to say I’d be as well-prepared as I am now?”
When Conrad’s father, Dickie, heard the news that his son had been appointed South Africa’s Test coach, the soon-to-be 81-year-old was overcome with emotion. Conrad senior was a provincial cricketer who played in the Lancashire leagues and has witnessed first-hand the journey his son has embarked on to reach the summit.
Though Shukri Conrad never got the opportunity to fulfil his playing potential because of the politics of the sport under apartheid — he played for Western Province in the non-white Howa Bowl in the 1980s. He says he’s neither bitter nor grumpy about it.
Conrad takes over at a challenging time for South African cricket, with the Test team ranked fourth in the world and the ODI side yet to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup. He believes the Betway SA20 highlighted the playing talent in SA.
“We have talent to burn in this country at every age group level, but our first-class structure needs looking at. The gap between international cricket and our first-class game is ever-widening. That for me is a concern, but other than that we have really sound structures and the talent, which we have to ensure we invest in properly.”
Conrad’s immediate priority is the Test series against the West Indies that starts at the end of this month. He says South African cricket is now in a space where it needs to reset and take firm decisions. Some describe the Proteas head coaching role as a poisoned chalice, but Conrad is more excited than daunted.
“Ultimately, I want to be judged on the type of cricket our team plays, and I want the players to be judged on how they represent the country. In Australia, we dropped the ball on a few occasions and showed a lack of fight, which South Africans are generally renowned for.”
I’m tired of us playing second fiddle and being happy to compete. We are a leading Test nation and need to start playing like one.
— Shukri Conrad
On WhatsApp the words attached to his profile read: “Let the main thing stay the main thing.” That motto is reminiscent of the narrative from Springbok director of rugby Rassie Erasmus that: “It’s about not getting caught up in too many sideshows. Everybody loves a winner, and you can play a meaningful role in society if you’re really good at what you do in terms of your primary role. When you win, people take notice.”
When it comes to taking lessons from the Springboks, during Jake White’s tenure many of the players who became World Cup-winners were once Junior Springboks under his mentorship. Conrad says he sees himself on a similar path. When he walked into the change-room in Bloemfontein for the first time a few weeks ago it felt like a “happy homecoming” and “a family that had not seen each other for a while”.
In the embryonic stages of his coaching career at the highveld Lions, Conrad relied on senior players, and he will have to decide whether he wants to lean on the experience of 35-year-old Dean Elgar as Test captain or head in a new direction.
“Dean is still the Test captain, but whether he’s going to be the guy that captains the side going forward is still a conversation to be had. But in terms of the skill set Dean brings and his leadership, he will be a critical part of our next year or two.”
Elgar said he had to bite his tongue when asked about the lack of Test match cricket SA will play, with T20 taking precedence. As a case in point, South Africa have played 29 Test matches to England’s 47 at the same stage. Conrad is diplomatic in response and says Cricket SA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe is working tirelessly behind the scenes to get more Test content, which Conrad describes as being “without a doubt the pinnacle”.
The coach said his short-term objective is to embed a brand of Test cricket the Proteas want to play and match it with the correct selections. The long-term objective is to become the No. 1 Test nation in the world again.
“I’m tired of us playing second fiddle and being happy to compete. We are a leading Test nation and need to start playing like one. I’m not trying to reinvent the Test wheel. Ultimately, I want guys with the character and skillset to be able to withstand whatever tests get thrown their way and perform as the best versions of themselves.”
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