Other than some very creative thinking from Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) board of directors, it appears inevitable that Shukri Conrad will be given the reins as Proteas limited overs coach.
Whether that be on a temporary basis or full time, heading up to the 2027 World Cup, appears to be the main concern for some senior CSA administrators. There’s overwhelming support for Conrad, who oversaw South Africa’s run to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
For now, that match against Australia at Lord’s in June takes priority, with director of national teams Enoch Nkwe — whose job it is to recommend a replacement for Rob Walter to the board — saying he was “still finalising the plan”.
Offering a hazy remark that “there are many factors to consider”, Nkwe said the focus was on the WTC final, and that there was ample time to make a decision before South Africa’s next white ball assignment.
That will be a triangular T20 series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in July, which will be hosted by the latter. Though there’s been speculation about a temporary appointment, Nkwe made it clear that from his perspective the next white ball coach has to be “the right one to lead us to the 2027 World Cup”.
Nkwe and CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki have emphasised that the primary goal for the team and the organisation was to win that tournament, which will be hosted mainly by South Africa, but with some matches also taking place in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Walter surprisingly quit this week, citing personal reasons, halfway through a four-year contract that would have taken him to the next 50-over World Cup. It is believed the relentless travel arrangements — which saw him have to journey from New Zealand, where his family resides, to South Africa — had taken its toll, with this year’s heavy schedule making it even harder.
After the WTC final, the Proteas travel to Zimbabwe, Australia, England, Pakistan and India, playing 12 ODIs and up to 19 T20 Internationals. Although the only assignment on home soil in the summer are five T20 Internationals against West Indies, even that would have required Walter to make a trip back to South Africa, which would then be followed by the T20 World Cup in India in February 2026.
Walter already had his critics on the CSA board who felt he didn’t have a firm hold on what was happening in South African cricket — because he was so far away — while remarks about transformation didn’t sit well with administrators and even some players.
Since his resignation, reports from New Zealand have linked Walter with a job for the Black Caps.
Conrad’s popularity grew over the season as South Africa went on a seven-match winning run, culminating in home series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. One insider claimed a key component in Conrad’s success is his engaging personality, which has created strong bonds not just with the players but the public, charmed by his straightforward, relatable nature.
CSA’s board is expected to meet this week to discuss the vacant coaching slot.
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