- “There are one or two things that will make us the best version” – Shukri Conrad urges South Africa to keep improving after Australian series triumph. South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad believes the Proteas can move forward despite their 2-1 Test series win against Australia.
- “There are one or two things that will make us the best version” – Shukri Conrad urges South Africa to keep improving after Australian series win (Photo by Ben Whitley/PA Images via ) South Africa recorded a 2-1 win over Australia in their home Test series, with the crucial third Test ending at Newlands in Ce Town on October 31.
- Head coach Shukri Conrad spoke to the media after the series and discussed the successes and potential for improvement.
“There are one or two things that will make us the best version” – Shukri Conrad urges South Africa to keep improving after Australian series triumph. South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad believes the Proteas can move forward despite their 2-1 Test series win against Australia.
“There are one or two things that will make us the best version” – Shukri Conrad urges South Africa to keep improving after Australian series win (Photo by Ben Whitley/PA Images via ) South Africa recorded a 2-1 win over Australia in their home Test series, with the crucial third Test ending at Newlands in Ce Town on October 31. Head coach Shukri Conrad spoke to the media after the series and discussed the successes and potential for improvement. Despite this success, Conrad emphasized that his team is still a work in progress and that further development is essential for sustainable excellence.
“I always think there are one or two things that make us the best version. But my goodness, I didn’t think we’d be here a few days ago. In the same sense, I’m not surprised because all these people have the courage to do incredible things,” Conrad was quoted as saying by ICC.
How does Conrad proach team selection and player development? The series presented different challenges in three tests. South Africa suffered a 214-run defeat in Durban but recovered from a precarious 40-for-4 position in Gqeberha to secure a win by 31 runs.
In Ce Town, the Proteas conceded a 100-run lead before setting Australia a target of 388 and eventually winning by 176 runs to clinch the series. Conrad’s proach to team composition reflects his commitment to finding the omal balance to win individual Tests and series. The head coach has strategically rotated his squad to give emerging talent the opportunity to develop their skills at the highest level during their stint in Australia.
Explaining his philosophy on team management and player development, Conrad stressed that his players need flexibility to meet the demands of Test cricket. “We have the best eleven on the bus. You just have to find the right seats for it.
It is important that as a player you often have to be quite malleable. Take Marques, for example, who came in and was taken away (to Test cricket) like a duck to water. He’s going to mess things up again because of the way he plays, but that’s a character I don’t want to hinder in any way,” Conrad said.
What awaits South Africa in the coming months? The Proteas have a busy schedule ahead of them, starting with visiting Bangladesh in a two-match home series. England will follow with a three-match pearance and Sri Lanka will play two more games.
Conrad stressed the importance of maintaining momentum and learning lessons from the Australian series as South Africa prepares for these competitions. “Each test series becomes the largest test series and the next test series is the largest test series of the summer,” Conrad said. Under Conrad’s leadership, South Africa set an impressive Test record.
The Proteas won the 2023-25 World Test Championship title and have lost just one of the ten Test series overseen by Conrad, with that defeat coming against New Zealand in 2024. Australia’s victory marked another milestone as South Africa achieved consecutive home wins against Australia for the first time since the country was readmitted to international cricket.
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