South Africa coach Shukro Conrad on World test cricket final against Australia
09/06/2025
Lords Cricket Ground, London, UK
09/06/2025
Lords Cricket Ground, London, UK
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00:00OK, OK. Oh, you guys are going to that as well?
00:08Good to see you, man.
00:11I'm well, yes. How are you?
00:14Always, eh?
00:16Exactly.
00:21I'm going to switch that off again.
00:22Do not switch it off.
00:24I'm going to switch that off.
00:30I shall. Thank you.
00:35Anything stronger?
00:36Nothing.
00:48Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us for today's press conference
00:51featuring pro-GMN head coach and comment.
00:54As so normal, what would you say one question at a time?
00:56Please do raise your hand if you would like to ask questions.
01:00Who would like to hear it first?
01:02After.
01:05Shooks, we've heard a lot about the bowlers going into this match.
01:08You know, people writing it up as these two fine attacks.
01:10But where does that leave your batters, Muzugrejit?
01:16Yeah, look, I think obviously the inexperience of the batters
01:20is very apparent in terms of the number of tests played, rankings on the ICC rankings.
01:30So I think it's pretty normal to chat about the bowlers when you've got guys like Kaki Surabada,
01:35ranked two in the world, and Marco and Keshav.
01:38But on the batting front, look, I think there's a quiet confidence amongst the batting group.
01:45They come off a lot of confidence having gotten hundreds of different players at different stages.
01:51So, yeah, whilst they might not have the superstar names amongst them,
01:56I think as a collective we're pretty confident.
01:59And just quickly, about the bowl.
02:02Have they – do you think you guys have adjusted to the Dukes, both batsmen and bowlers?
02:06Yeah, yeah.
02:07Look, it takes a little bit of adjusting.
02:10But, yeah, the little bit we got out of the warm-up match in Arendelle.
02:15And obviously the nets we've had, I think whatever adjustments needed to be made,
02:21yeah, have been made.
02:24Shooks, obviously, I don't think you're going to tell us the 11 now, but – unless you want to.
02:28No, I'm not.
02:30Can you just tell us what kinds of things you're thinking about when you're deciding
02:33on the make-up of your pace attack particularly?
02:37Yeah, so obviously the new ball, critical.
02:40But then also there's been a lot of talk about when the lacquer comes off the ball,
02:47talking around over 10 maybe.
02:51And you obviously still need guys that are as effective with that ball when the lacquer comes off
02:57and it tends to swing a little bit more.
02:59So that would be a consideration.
03:02The bounce here with the older ball can be a little bit inconsistent, can be a bit slower than
03:08what we are normally accustomed to.
03:11So those would be the considerations.
03:12Obviously, not a venue where spin is a massive factor in terms of wickets taken,
03:20but it's shown that spinners can play a role here, both as wicket takers
03:26and doing an important holding role as well for your seamers to be effective.
03:31So yeah, I think those are pretty much the conversations that have happened.
03:36And based on all of that, we'll structure our bowling attack accordingly.
03:43You mentioned that talk about the ball.
03:44There's obviously been a lot of talk as well about South Africa's lead in.
03:48What's your response to that in terms of the teams that they've played?
03:51And how much is that incentive for the group this week?
03:56I think enough's been spoken about that.
03:58I'm tired of speaking about it, to be honest.
04:01We're here and that's all that matters.
04:03We get a chance to walk away as the World Test Champions.
04:09Playing Australia doesn't get any bigger than that.
04:14So yeah, what's gone before counts for absolutely nothing at the minute.
04:20And we'd be quietly confident going into this game that we can pull one over them.
04:25We're a confident bunch.
04:28We play well as a unit.
04:32And if there are any vulnerabilities amongst them, I'm sure we'd be able to exploit that.
04:44Shooks, a couple of things.
04:46First of all, how was your dinner with Stuart Broad, the conversation rather than the food?
04:51Yeah, the rib eye was good.
04:55I didn't consume any of the red wine for obvious reasons.
04:58But yeah, it was enlightening.
05:01Man, as we met last night, coaching group with Brody.
05:06And just a casual chat.
05:07And if I didn't call time at 10.30, I think he'd probably still be sitting there chatting to us.
05:13So really enlightening, really casual.
05:15And everybody walked away there like, yeah, that was great, Brody included.
05:22And the other one is Lourdes, the sense of occasion.
05:26We'll never forget 2008 South Africa.
05:29Dale Steyn and Mornay Morkle were overwhelmed on the first morning by the crowd and the occasion.
05:35And bowled poorly in South Africa, sort of chased the test match for it.
05:39Have you taken any sort of steps with eight of the squad not having, well, I think eight haven't played here before?
05:47And so have you kind of encouraged them to get the place out of their system before the games start?
05:53Difficult not to get the place out of your system.
05:56We've almost taken the, let's embrace it, whatever comes with it.
05:59It's going to be humming tomorrow, well, two days' time.
06:02And we'd probably be enjoying the majority of the support.
06:07I think all the English will be supporting us as well.
06:11And just to really embrace the occasion, because it is a huge occasion, Neil.
06:15We can't wish it away.
06:18And these were some of the conversations that we had last night, you know, in taking it in, just making sure you settle yourself down.
06:25And, yeah, we, rather than wish it away, we talk through these things.
06:32And they're going to be nerves.
06:34The excitement levels are starting to ramp up, as you're well aware.
06:38So, yeah, it's a great occasion, and I'd rather be part of it than not.
06:46Go, just, you know, there's so much talk about the health of test cricket and the way it should be played, especially in this country.
06:51Is it pretty cool that two teams who've played still traditional test cricket are playing this big final in a format, which also kind of shows you that you can still play it in different ways?
07:04And also the fact that it's happening in a country which seem to think, at least a team, that it should be played in another way.
07:10Yeah, I think it's great that it's come to the home of cricket.
07:15I mean, this is the home of cricket.
07:18And, yeah, true traditional test teams go head-to-head.
07:23Test cricket, we still hold it very dearly.
07:27Our fixtures might not speak to that, but all of our players, this is the biggest final they've ever been involved in.
07:38This is the biggest match they've ever been involved in.
07:41So, as pure traditionalists, we've also realised that the other formats, together with test cricket, can co-exist.
07:49And we need to ensure that they do co-exist.
07:53But we also need to make sure that test cricket remains the pinnacle.
07:57And your best players need to be out there whenever test cricket is being played.
08:02And that every nation needs to be included when test cricket is spoken about.
08:08Because it is still not only the biggest shop window, but it is still the best breeding ground for any format of cricket.
08:20Australia, obviously, perennial winners.
08:23Yourselves, just the one major title back in 1998.
08:26Has that been talked about at all?
08:28Does that weigh heavy on the group?
08:30I'm not sure if any of our guys were born in 1998, even.
08:35No, it doesn't weigh heavy on us.
08:37I think it's unfair to burden this group with anything that's gone before.
08:42But again, just like the previous question, you can't wish things away.
08:48We know we want to and we need to win another ICC event.
08:52But whatever tags come along, yeah, we don't wear that.
09:00And like I said, it's unfair to burden this group with that.
09:03It's just another occasion to set the record straight and to get that first title.
09:09And you can only win it if you play in finals, you know, and the more finals you play in, you obviously improve your chances of winning.
09:17So we've got another chance here.
09:18We had a chance not so long ago in the West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
09:23And now we've got another opportunity and, yeah, hopefully this time we break that duck.
09:30Shukri, just about Kyle Verena and the really big steps he's made the last few seasons, particularly with the bat.
09:41I mean, essentially in the top three batters for South Africa in the cycle.
09:47Why do you think he's made such big strides?
09:50I mean, early on you didn't have him for the first couple of tests that you were in charge.
09:54And is he now more comfortable in that role of being able to talk to some of the older players, you know, when it comes to stuff like, you know, DRS and so on and so forth?
10:06He's still rubbish at that.
10:09I'll tell you that much.
10:11I think Kyle's, yeah, when I took over, having left him out, I think being dropped, left out, choose whichever one you want.
10:22But I think that's still a critical part of your development as well, you know.
10:25You need to, the adversity you need to deal with and then show the necessary drive and resilience to come back.
10:33And I think that's what Kyle's done.
10:34He hasn't taken anything for granted.
10:37He fully understands what we want from our Wicked Keeper and our Wicked Keeper batter in particular.
10:43And, yeah, he's not the prettiest to look at, but he certainly is very effective.
10:51And I'm not talking his physical attributes.
10:53I'm talking with a bat.
10:55But he gets the job done.
10:57And I think that's another thing that we constantly talk about.
11:01I'm not interested in the how as long as the job gets done.
11:04And that sits really well with Scalzi because he's quite unconventional.
11:08But the growth that we've seen both with the gloves and with the bat, as well as the little mongrel, if you want, behind the stumps,
11:19which is pretty much what South Africa's had over the years in Wicked Keeper batters,
11:24I think Scalzi is starting to grow into that nicely now.
11:27Hi there.
11:33Just wanted to ask you, you talked about, you know, Test Cricket ensuring it stays the pinnacle.
11:38How have you worked through, I guess, the conversations with players around, you know, practically making that a reality
11:45when, you know, it is obviously a challenge for South Africa relative to, you know, say what Cricket Australia can pay their players to play Test Cricket?
11:52Yeah, I see how relative it is.
11:55Whenever I go into the stores here, you know, you start calculating what it costs you.
12:01So it's no surprise we can't compete.
12:04But I think the important bit is to plan properly.
12:09So each player's season and year could look different to the next one.
12:13And so it's about prioritizing certain tours where we could give them a break and ensure that some conditioning is able to happen
12:25and if any work needs to be done on the game.
12:27Because these guys go around the clock, you know, they're never time-fired to actually work on the game.
12:31And we've actually done that now with five of our cross-format players being rested for the Zimbabwe tour.
12:37And then also, whenever we're not playing and there's an opportunity for them to earn some USD,
12:47then we'll obviously encourage that.
12:50Obviously, they're earning potential, but also they come back better cricketers.
12:55But through the conversations we've had, as long as we can plan things properly in advance,
13:01then absolutely, yeah, I've got the buy-in from all of our players that test cricket,
13:08they're as committed as they ever have been, or more committed, if that's possible.
13:15Shooks, when it was day three of the chase against Pakistan,
13:19you kind of laid down the gauntlet in the dressing room and you used the choker's word.
13:23You kind of said, you know, you guys are going to be the ones to do it.
13:25That didn't really go down well.
13:27Has your messaging around that and the pressures and what this means, has that softened?
13:30Are you still kind of finding a balance between hard and, you know, tentative?
13:35I thought it was the opportune time to lay down that challenge.
13:40Maybe because we had another chance.
13:42If it didn't go our way, we had another chance in Cape Town.
13:46But, yeah, it didn't go down kindly.
13:50But at some stage, that conversation needs to be had, you know,
13:55and it's all about choosing when to have that.
13:58So we had it the evening before, left it, result worked out okay.
14:06We touched on it briefly the other day around what were the learnings from that
14:10and what sort of response we can expect and we're looking for.
14:15And that's pretty much been the, yeah, the long and short of that conversation.
14:21Shooks, you look at the make-up of your coaching staff,
14:26Bashal, Cleo, these are guys that were real battlers, fighters,
14:29and you speak about the nature of your side.
14:33Is it the sum of the parts that the strong suit of this team,
14:37that they'll fight for every run, they'll save every run,
14:40that that is where the hallmarks of this team,
14:44particularly in a game like this?
14:45Yeah, for now, I think that those are the hallmarks,
14:48and hopefully it stays that way until we, the numbers start becoming more of the numbers
14:55that we can maybe not compare with the Hashims and the Abys and the Jacques,
15:02but I think that's our strength at the minute,
15:06is that as a collective, guys really go out there and fight for every run,
15:12every little contribution we understand,
15:16how important it is.
15:18And then also you look at a guy like Tristan Stubbs, you know,
15:21I mean, doesn't bowl,
15:24and you look at his celebrations when wickets get taken, you know,
15:26and that for me is like the essence of what this team is about.
15:30But hopefully in years to come,
15:32we'll see a few more names on those honours boards around the world.
15:36And those batting averages start nudging toward the 40 and 40 and above,
15:42where, yeah, then you know you're onto something really good.
15:46Just in contrast to that,
15:48you've got an X-factor player in Marko Jansen,
15:51and we've seen him in the past possibly not start big games very well.
15:56Is there just a conversation around him?
15:59How does he go about his initial period?
16:03And just elaborate on the X-factor that he does.
16:06Look, X-factor he's got, I'm really not interested in how he starts,
16:09but he finished that last big game really well,
16:12winning it at Centurion.
16:14So I'd far rather take that finish.
16:17But, yeah, look, we forget these guys are 24 and 25 years old.
16:21I mean, Marko's 25 years old.
16:22So all of those, the sense of the occasion,
16:26the expectation that weighs on them,
16:30but they'll get better the more they're exposed to that.
16:33And, again, we're expecting a bold showing from Marko with both bat and ball,
16:39in particular with the ball.
16:40So I think there's been a lot of growth.
16:44You look at the calmness he showed towards the end in that chase at Centurion,
16:49and I think that will stand him in really good stead.
16:54Shooks, you had James Smith at the training yesterday,
16:58who obviously had lots of success in this country as a captain as well.
17:02Just could you maybe talk about what that conversation was about?
17:06Well, he was here at some other major event.
17:09I think it's some MCC stuff,
17:12and Buff just reached out and said,
17:14well, I'm here to look at Papa Pran, you know.
17:16And we're open to those sort of things.
17:18I mean, he's a legend in South African cricket.
17:20Probably he is the most successful test captain.
17:24So you can have people like that around.
17:26And also then know during a prep and obviously the final bits of prep,
17:32he's not going to come in and impose himself on anything.
17:36If anybody needs to have a chat or casual conversation,
17:40he's there for that chat to be had.
17:42So, yeah, I wouldn't make too much of that.
17:46Ex-players, guys like Graham are always welcome.
17:51It doesn't have to be a formal invitation
17:52or a batting consultant or bowling consultant
17:56that some people have gone to town on with regards to Brodie.
18:00It's just using whatever we can, and if it adds value, great.