Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad believes South Africa still have significant room for improvement despite their remarkable comeback against Australia, which secured a 2-1 Test series victory and took them to the top of the ICC Test rankings.
South Africa completed a 176-run victory in the third and final Test at Newlands, dismissing Australia for 111 on the final day after setting the visitors a target of 288.
The victory capped an extraordinary turnaround after the Proteas lost the opening Test in Durban before responding with an innings victory in Gqeberha and another memorable performance in Cape Town.
Speaking after the series, Conrad praised his players’ resilience but insisted that reaching the top of the rankings was only part of the team’s ambition.
“It was always about how we’re going to get to the top and remain at the top for an extended period of time,” Conrad said.
“There’s a reason why the air is rarefied up at the top of the mountain. The reason is because it’s the highest peak.
“And once you reach there, you want to stay there as long as you can, because everybody’s clamouring to get up there.”
Despite the significance of the achievement, Conrad was quick to dismiss suggestions that South Africa had nothing left to prove.
“I’m not into proving people wrong. I only look after that change room and instil the belief that they can do what they can and what they have done.
“It’s certainly not about puffing our chest out. We need to be consistent and we need to be consistently better.
“I still feel that there were areas in the series that we were really, really soft and we need to get better at that.”
From Durban Disappointment to Newlands Glory
The series began with a difficult defeat in Durban, raising questions about South Africa’s batting and team selection.
However, the Proteas responded emphatically in Gqeberha before overcoming several difficult situations at Newlands.
Conrad admitted that even he had been surprised by some of the performances.
“They do [surprise me]. Because we can be awesome the one minute and absolutely horrendous the next,” he said.
“But in the end, we are a lot more awesome than we are horrendous. And I think that’s the pleasing part for me.
“There’s so much still there.”
Reflecting on the Newlands Test, Conrad acknowledged that South Africa had failed to capitalise fully on a promising first-innings position.
The Proteas reached 158/0 before being dismissed for 329, allowing Australia to establish a 100-run first-innings advantage.
But centuries from Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder in the second innings helped South Africa recover and set up a winning position.
“You go 100 behind and effectively 44 yesterday morning. And then you think, if we can get to around the 150 mark, maybe we’ll have something to build on.
“And then again, two hell of a knocks yesterday from Ricks and Wessie.”
Conrad said he had been confident heading into the final day but knew South Africa would need an exceptional bowling performance.
“I always felt we were favourites coming into this morning. But it needed something special.
“And who better to get us off to the start that we wanted? Rolls-Royce [Kagiso Rabada] got us off to a great start.”
Rabada took three early wickets before Simon Harmer claimed 6/16 to complete the victory.
Conrad’s Belief in Mulder and Rickelton Pays Off
The performances of Rickelton and Mulder were particularly satisfying for Conrad, who had previously defended the team’s batting selections.
Rickelton scored 101 and Mulder made 115, sharing a crucial 154-run sixth-wicket partnership.
Conrad believes their contributions will have a significant impact on the confidence of the batting unit.
“The two knocks, yesterday’s knocks, will give us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the summer,” he said.
“Give us a lot of belief in that we’re not overly reliant on the two senior guys at the top and then the lower order to provide us with much-needed runs.
“And I think that will permeate the entire unit.”
The coach revealed that he had long believed Mulder was capable of producing such an innings.
“Wiaan especially. I think we waited long for him to play a knock like he did yesterday.
“But we always knew he’s got it in him.”
Conrad also joked about the team’s approach to Mulder’s century.
“We considered declaring it when he was on 99,” he said, laughing.
For Conrad, belief in his players is not simply about offering encouragement.
“There’s a genuine belief that these guys can go on and do special things. And we’ve got to remind them all the time.
“It’s not blind belief.
“It is based on what you see, the characters that I know that sit in that change room.”
Selection Decisions Are About the Team’s Future
South Africa made several changes following the defeat in Durban, with the selections of Marques Ackerman, Matthew Breetzke and Simon Harmer becoming important talking points.
Conrad explained that while loyalty remains important, the team must continue evolving.
“Loyalty was a word that was bandied about after the selection of the first squad. That I was loyal to a lot of players, which to a large degree, yes.
“But I think at some stage you’ve got to continually look at how you can evolve the team and how we can continually get better.”
The coach insisted that players should understand the reasoning behind selection decisions.
“The message that lands is that whatever decisions we take will always be for the betterment of the side.
“And no one feels that it gets done on a personal gain or whatever the case may be, because I need to prove something. None of that.”
Conrad also made it clear that the current squad was not necessarily the final version of the team he wanted to build.
“I think we’re getting the best XI on the bus. We’ve just got to find the right seats for them.
“I still think there are one or two things that will make us the best version.”
Conrad Wants Ackerman to Keep Playing His Natural Game
Marques Ackerman made an immediate impression after coming into the team, scoring 95 in the first innings at Newlands.
His attacking approach helped South Africa establish a strong opening partnership with Aiden Markram.
Conrad believes Ackerman’s individuality is something that should be encouraged rather than restricted.
“You take Acki, who’s come in and he’s taken to it like a duck to water,” Conrad said.
“He’s still going to mess things up because of the way he plays.
“If he was on 95 again, how would he go about it? But that was vintage Marques.
“He’s a character that I don’t want to stymie in any way. I certainly don’t want to curb his way of playing cricket.”
The coach explained that his message to Ackerman was straightforward.
“You’ve just got to double down on what you do that’s special.”
Harmer Selection Was About Conviction, Not Vindication
One of the biggest decisions ahead of the final Test was the selection of Simon Harmer ahead of Keshav Maharaj.
Harmer went on to claim 10 wickets in the match, including six in Australia’s second innings, to earn the Player of the Match award.
However, Conrad insisted that the performance did not automatically justify the decision.
“It’s not about the selection being justified by Simon doing what he did today,” he explained.
“It’s what we believe was the right call. And we’ve got to live by that.
“And if it wasn’t the right call, then I’ve got to front up to that as well.”
Conrad acknowledged that leaving Maharaj out had been difficult.
“I’m really sorry that I had to leave you out, personally,” he said when asked what he had told the spinner.
“But again, as the true pro that he is, he doesn’t go without a fight.
“And I don’t expect anybody to go without a fight.
“But ultimately, again, he understands that it’s for the betterment of the side.”
Jansen Has the Potential to Become One of the World’s Best Cricketers
Marco Jansen was named Player of the Series and has risen to No. 1 in the ICC Test bowling and all-rounder rankings.
Conrad believes the 26-year-old still has considerable room to develop.
“Plank has got such a high ceiling for obvious reasons,” Conrad said.
“He can go on and achieve a lot of things, both with bat and ball.
“He can go on and become one of the world’s best cricketers, let alone only one of the world’s best bowlers.”
The coach also praised Jansen’s growing understanding of the game.
“I think the smarts are getting there now. He’s become a lot smarter.
“He’s a lot deeper thinker than people give him credit for. Sometimes he tends to overthink a little bit.
“But yeah, he can go the distance.”
Conrad believes having Jansen and Mulder in the same batting line-up provides South Africa with valuable depth.
“I’m just grateful I’ve got someone like him. I can walk in at eight and be supplemented by someone like Wiaan at seven.”
Conrad’s Approach: Say Less and Trust the Players
The Proteas have developed a reputation for remaining composed in difficult situations, something that was evident throughout the series.
Conrad revealed that his approach to managing the dressing room is often to say very little.
“I think it’s all about reading the room,” he explained.
“I’ve got other coaches that also take the initiative.
“Temba and some of the other senior players lead a lot of it.
“For me, it’s really just stepping in when I feel I need to step in.
“I hate speaking for the sake of speaking.”
Conrad believes the role of the coaching staff is to prepare the players and then allow them to take responsibility on the field.
“It’s about them. It’s never been about the coach and the coaching staff, for that matter.
“We put everything in, and then we get out of the way and allow them to do what they do.”
The coach said the team’s recent experiences had created a sense of trust in their ability to recover from difficult positions.
“You experience what we’ve experienced over the last couple of years. You almost get a sense that someone will step up, something will happen, and you don’t need to state the obvious.
“That’s the thing with this team. You don’t need to state the obvious. You know that someone will step up.”
Bangladesh Will Be the Next Big Challenge
Despite the celebrations following the Australia series, Conrad is already looking ahead to South Africa’s next Test assignment against Bangladesh.
He warned that the visitors would present a significant challenge, particularly with their pace attack.
“Every Test series becomes the biggest Test series,” he said.
“Bangladesh are going to come here with quicks that can be very, very effective on the surfaces on the Highveld.
“Let’s not forget that they not so long ago beat Australia.”
Conrad also noted that former South African coach Malibongwe Maketa’s presence in the Bangladesh setup would provide the visitors with valuable knowledge of local conditions.
“Mali will be sharing a lot of info.
“But the next series becomes the biggest series.
“It’s critical for us that we take the good from here, look at where we can get better, and make sure we hit the ground running against Bangladesh in a few weeks’ time.”
Newlands Provides a Fitting Stage
Conrad praised the atmosphere at Newlands, where South Africa completed their series victory in front of a passionate home crowd.
He also acknowledged the improvements made at the venue.
“I think Newlands has definitely turned the corner, and credit to Cory and his team and what he’s done here,” he said.
“It’s been wonderful to come here.
“We always knew that there was going to be a crowd in because Cape Town people read the back pages.”
For Conrad, the victory represents another important step in South Africa’s development.
But despite winning the World Test Championship, defeating Australia and reaching the top of the rankings, the Proteas coach remains focused on the challenge of staying there.
“We need to be consistent and we need to be consistently better.”
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