International coaching, said Shukri Conrad, is “everything I thought it would be. And maybe a little more”.
The 58-year-old reaches a mini-landmark at Eden Gardens against India this week as the first Test starts on Friday, overseeing his 20th Test as Proteas head coach. He didn’t know it was that many, and given the nature of the modern international schedule that is understandable.
He was still in Islamabad last week, sizing up T20 options and following a complicated trip via Dubai, is in Kolkata preparing for what he, on Wednesday, described as the Proteas’ “toughest challenge”, since he took over as coach in February 2023.
Previous Proteas generations would have played at least 10 more Tests in the time Conrad’s been in charge, but T20 Leagues, annual World Cups and five-match series for the ‘Big 3’ have created a fleeting Test programme for South Africa.
It’s why Conrad is putting such a big emphasis on the two Tests with India, comparing their importance to the World Test Championship final ― the golden moment of his tenure.
Conrad took over a side in need of direction after a tour to Australia in 2022/23 that illustrated lots of fighting spirit, but very little in terms of flair and tactical acumen.
Yet, half the team that suffered an innings defeat at the MCG in that series will take to Eden Gardens confident and expecting to match India’s aggression.
That has been instilled by Conrad, who said his outlook as a coach hasn’t changed. “Your coaching style remains your coaching style,” he said. “You get smarter and you start understanding the rigours of international cricket better. The various conditions you play under, the smarts come in there … but the blunt answer is no, the [coaching] philosophy doesn’t change.”
The Proteas have won 14 of the 19 Tests in which Conrad has been in charge, losing only four with two of those against New Zealand, when he was forced to field a ‘C team’ because all the frontline players were involved in the SA20.
Along with that success the Proteas have become a more savvy team, who have thrived in the absence of superstars. The statistics this year offer an example of that: eight different batters have scored centuries (only Wiaan Mulder has made two), five bowlers have claimed five-wicket hauls and in South Africa’s five Test wins this year, there’ve been five different players named man of the match.
Conrad hasn’t always stuck to a tried and trusted script. His “gut feel” has directed him towards some interesting choices; such as Mulder batting at No 3 at Lord’s, but for the most part his instincts are backed up by fact, along with a strong emphasis on individual character.
His frank nature has occasionally rubbed people up the wrong way, but the likes of Ryan Rickelton, who was initially on the margins of the starting team, Keshav Maharaj and Kyle Verreynne have publicly pointed out that players know where they stand with ‘Shuks’.
Temba Bavuma, who Conrad made Test captain the moment he took over, has seen his stature as a player grow, both as captain and batter.
“Temba is our best player, it’s as simple as that. In the past two years he’s been one of the best players in the world. The calmness he brings, his leadership, quiet demeanor ― we get a lot of feel good from that,” said Conrad.
There is no sense that the victory at Lord’s represented some kind of end point for either Conrad or the current group of Proteas. In fact as he pointed out on Wednesday, the defence of their World Test Championship crown might be even more important to them than winning it in the first place.
“To pull together as a young, inexperienced unit and to deliver a performance like we did at Lord’s was massive for our cricket, but also for our country. It’s something we don’t speak about often. We have so many issues in our country, and so any time we can contribute to the feel good factor for our country and for cricket, we are thrilled by it,” said Conrad.
“This Test series [against India] is massive if we want to be in the money at the end of the race; we have tough series’s in this [WTC] cycle. So it would be great to get there again, because everyone who said we didn’t deserve to get there previously can then say that we deserve to be there.”
