Fast bowling concerns temper Proteas’ celebrations

The Proteas Test team are winning, they are happy, but they are not getting carried away with themselves, according to head coach Shukri Conrad. 

It’s been noted by many observers this generation of Proteas are a much more relaxed group, all comfortable in their own skin, and while desperate to play more Test matches, they’ve also adopted a pragmatic attitude about the cards they’ve been dealt. 

Kagiso Rabada, the team’s only bona fide superstar, has described his teammates as a bunch of guys who just want to get on with it. Tony de Zorzi has talked about how each individual is allowed to be himself within the environment — something that is actively encouraged by the coaching staff. 

“We have a host of characters in there,” said Conrad. “They train hard, they enjoy each other’s company away from the field, there is nothing artificial. They are a very authentic group in terms of their personalities, which is something we encourage, [we tell them] ‘you be you and we will make this whole thing work.’”

“Winning obviously helps, we get judged on results, not the characters we are,” Conrad added. 

South Africa wrapped up a fourth Test victory on the trot on Saturday, beating Sri Lanka by 233 runs.

The three standout performers were captain Temba Bavuma, who made 70 and 113, Tristan Stubbs, who scored 122 and Marco Jansen, who was named player of the match, for his return of 11/87 — a career-first 10-wicket haul.

Stubbs' efforts further cemented Conrad’s decision to not only put him in the Test team when everyone had classed him as white-ball batter but also to hand him the key No 3 spot. Stubbs, explained Conrad, exemplifies everything that is good about the team’s spirit. 

“He loves playing cricket and loves playing for South Africa. He’s the heartbeat of this team,” said Conrad. 

Stubbs has made centuries in back-to-back Tests, and plays with the enthusiasm of a puppy who’s just received his first toy. No-one has ever jumped higher on a cricket field to celebrate a wicket, or slapped a "high five" harder or hugged teammates with such force.

“Everyone feeds off that. Apart from being the guy you want your daughter to bring home, he’s great in a team environment, he’s got so much energy,” said Conrad.

“He practises the hardest but is also the first to arrange a tee-off time when guys want to get to the golf course. He’s a superb cricketer and long may his form continue.”

It is concerning when you have a longer list of injured players than fit players.

—  Shukri Conrad, Proteas head coach 

While there were plenty of smiles as they boarded the team bus back to the hotel on Saturday evening, Conrad was also aware that he’d have to take stock as the series heads to Gqeberha, with his fast-bowling unit getting ever thinner. 

Gerald Coetzee, who needed treatment during the lunch break on Saturday for a groin problem, was set to undergo scans on Sunday to assess the nature of the damage. Already without Nandre Burger for the rest of the season because of a stress fracture, Lungi Ngidi until January with a groin problem and Wiaan Mulder out of the second Test because of a broken finger, Conrad will have to box clever with the resources that are available. 

“It is concerning when you have a longer list of injured players than fit players,” he said.

Dane Paterson is the next in line to start, but depending on what kind of conditions St George’s Park provides, Conrad has left the door open to add another player.

Three of the top four wicket-takers in the CSA Four-Day series are spinners, and the highest wicket-taking seamer is Tsepo Moreki, who is too similar to Paterson. 

Of the seamers, Conrad would have looked at Beyers Swanepoel, who plays for the Warriors at St George’s, but he picked up a concussion for the Warriors in their last match against the Lions.

That leaves Lions pair Lutho Sipamla and Codi Yusuf as options, while Conrad has also previously mentioned that he’s been keeping an eye on the Titans’ Corbin Bosch, who’s taken 10 wickets at an average of 22.20 this season. 

“We have to see how the guys pull up and then look at conditions and see if we need to beef up the squad. I want to have a look at the wicket [in Gqeberha]. We more than likely will add another player to the group.”