Ahead of his first ICC World Cup tournament as coach, Shukri Conrad issued his usual clarion call: “I like to say let’s go and show off. I want us to show what we are about.”
The Proteas travel to India next Sunday for the T20 World Cup, still looking to “get over the hump”.
While Conrad oversaw a first ICC trophy win for South Africa in the World Test Championship last year, the country is yet to achieve success in a limited overs competition.
“Tournament play is different. You almost have to win every game; you need to get through the first round, then a Super Eights, knockout matches; and as you go along, culminating hopefully in a semifinal and then final, you want to be progressing and playing your best match in the crunch games.”
Before the last T20 World Cup in 2024, South Africa had struggled to navigate their way through tournaments.
Traditionally a strong team in bilateral series in the last three years, the Proteas have flipped the script. Their bilateral record has gotten poorer.
Six wins from 13
Since Conrad took over coaching the limited-overs team from Rob Walter last May, the Proteas have won only six T20 Internationals out of 18.
But South Africa have used bilateral series to experiment with personnel and in some cases rested senior players to prioritise the Test series.
With the exception of last year’s Champions Trophy, the policy has largely worked. South Africa qualified for the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup two years ago and made an important leap by making it through to the final of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
The fact [that] we won an ICC event takes a lot of pressure off the guys, and although it was a different format, it gives the group a lot of confidence
— Conrad Shukri, Proteas limited-overs coach
Nevertheless, Conrad is aware that questions will remain about the Proteas until they actually win a tournament. “Only time will tell if we are over that hump. The chokers’ tag still hangs heavy. It will always be brought, and if we stumble, it will resurface,” he said.
“But it is certainly not something that we tread wearily around. The fact [that] we won an ICC event takes a lot of pressure off the guys, and although it was a different format, it gives the group a lot of confidence,” said Conrad.
Tricky tournament structure
Unlike the World Test Championship, however, lifting the T20 World Cup involves traversing a tricky tournament structure, starting with a group phase and then continuing into a Super Eight section — for the top two teams in each group — before the semifinals and final.
Conrad emphasised the importance of starting well but also being cognisant of factors that can throw a campaign off kilter or end it entirely, like net run rate — which South Africa did not pay close attention to in the UAE edition five years ago.
“You have to stay ahead of all of those sorts of things, but at the same time not make too much of it. We won’t be paralysed by the expectation. We know that T20 cricket is such that on a particular day anyone can beat anyone.”
It’s why he will be meticulous about execution. “You can only look after what you can, and that is the clarity in your thinking and your ability to execute when you’re under pressure. What does that look like?
“That’s what World Cups are about — being able to execute under pressure. Playing your best shot, producing your best delivery, and not panicking. Once we unlock that, it’s important that the guys don’t become paralysed by the situation of a World Cup.”
SA’s rhythm and form
He draws comfort from the fact that unlike the tours to Australia and India last year, when the bulk of the players went into the T20 series without much match time, the SA20 has allowed most of the squad to find rhythm and form in the format.
“We need to be smart. That’s been really gratifying for me in watching the SA20 in the last week; a lot of our key players are winning games and producing performances by assessing situations and conditions and then fashioning a way of navigating that.”
Although Tony de Zorzi and Donovan Ferreira have been withdrawn because of injuries, the quality of their replacements — Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs — illustrates the depth at Conrad’s disposal.
The Proteas take on Canada in their first match on February 9 but face difficult clashes with New Zealand and Afghanistan, meaning qualification for the second phase is no fait accompli. “We are very confident, but we’re not naive; we know we have to play well,” said Conrad.
Bangladesh out, Scotland in
Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for the World Cup after the South Asian side refused to travel to co-hosts India, according to media reports citing sources within the sport’s governing International Cricket Council.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) repeatedly insisted it would not play its scheduled matches in India, citing safety concerns following soured political relations between the neighbours.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.