Temba Bavuma and Shukri Conrad have given South Africa hope of a much-needed revival in progress | ✍️ Ongama Gcwabe
South African cricket has been in a free-fall since the 2019 World Cup where the Proteas failed to move past the round-robin stage. Ottis Gibson and his staff were sacked as a result, and then the 3-0 Test series hammering in India, under the tutelage of interim coach Enoch Nkwe added salt to the wound.
With Mark Boucher at the helm, this was followed by a 3-1 Test series defeat to England at our doorstep, which further pushed South African cricket into a dark hole.
He went into his work and the Test team seemed to be peaking when they came from a Test match defeat to India at Centurion on Boxing Day to win the series 2-1, beating the world’s best Test team at the time.
A Test series draw in tricky conditions in New Zealand signalled a continuation of the team’s promising upward trajectory.
Little did we know what was to follow next, an absolute batting shambles. One of South Africa’s leanest patches with the willow since re-admission in Test cricket. Consequently, the Proteas lost in spectacular fashion in England (2-1) last winter and in Australia quite recently (2-0).
“I’ve never been worried about Test cricket until I’ve seen this team (Proteas) here,” Ricky Ponting told Melinda Farrell for Wisden Cricket Monthly during South Africa’s tour of Australia.
Ponting, who was an Australian skipper in his playing days, knew to respect the South Africans who beat his side in two consecutive home series, including in his farewell series.
“It’s harder for me to understand South Africa being this. If that is the best group of players they’ve got then I think it’s an issue.”
During the third Test in England last winter, Boucher suddenly announced his forthcoming resignation, forcing Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s Director of Cricket, to send Malibongwe Maketa to Australia with the Test squad in an interim head coach role.
Upon the arrival back home, after an equally embarrassing 2-0 series defeat Down Under, Nkwe called on Shukri Conrad (Test coach) and Rob Walter (ODI & T20I coach) to take over the reins.
Walter has not yet physically met with the team, but Conrad has, as he is tasked with coaching the ODI team in the ongoing three-match series against England. Alongside Conrad is ODI skipper Temba Bavuma whose hundred on Sunday sealed the series 2-0 in favour of the hosts with one match remaining.
“I was being vulnerable with the coach, telling him where I see myself and how I feel about everything. He helped me cut through all the nonsense that was happening in my head,” said Bavuma after being seen having a long chat with Conrad at the Mangaung Oval pre-series.
“It was just him giving me an ear and him just hearing me out. It was more about validating the feelings that I had. What I enjoyed about the chat is the honesty and the clarity he gave,” he added.
South African cricket has never had a shortage of talent but perhaps the struggling Proteas needed more than a tactically sound coach. Perhaps they needed more of a father figure which is what Bavuma experienced in his chat with Conrad before the series started.
Conrad is known to be straight up and honest but also caring, a trait that is harnessed through extreme life pressures, something Shukri will know well about seeing the time he grew up in apartheid South Africa.
His life experiences and his maturity off the field combined beautifully and suggest that he may be the best man for the job. He looks a perfect fit to what is a vulnerable and fragile team environment.
This character trait was missing under Boucher as Faf du Plessis’ autobiography revealed. It was missing at a time when it was needed the most.
Now with Conrad in charge, it certainly looks to be the start of a revival, a process of mending and closing up old wounds and looking to move forward to build a successful side and a happy change room.
“It has been a crazy last couple of months. Emotionally it can be draining, it can be taxing. As much as you try to block out everything that’s out there, it does find its way to get to you. I think the biggest one is when it affects the people around you, with the family, that’s probably where it’s quite tough,” Bavuma testified after many months of graciously taking all the hate on the chin, blaming no one but himself for the team’s shortcomings and shielding his players from the abuse.
Most importantly, Bavuma is looking ahead to the future, looking to get better as a player and to close this horrific chapter of his career.
South African cricket is desperate for people who could learn from what ‘Siya Kolisi’ and a ‘Rassie Erasmus’ has done for South African Rugby. We need a brains trust that can inspire and most importantly revive the hopes of a proud cricketing nation.
Could it be that Conrad and Bavuma are the solutions South Africa has longed for?
“We all go through ups and downs whether it’s in your career or in your family life. I’m sure other people out there have gone through what I’m going through. The biggest thing is finding a way to keep going forward. Don’t give up, just find a way to keep going forward,” Bavuma explained.
Do you believe that South Africa is in a revival phase? Let us know…
