Monday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) named Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter as the country’s Test and limited overs coaches, respectively.
Since 2014, Conrad, a 55-year-old former first-class cricketer, has served as the South African Academy’s head coach, working with many of South Africa’s top players. Additionally, he coached the South African Under-19 squad.
He has senior domestic experience with the Cape Cobras and the Lions, as well as a brief stint as head coach of the Uganda national team.
He assumes command of a Test team that has suffered significant defeats in previous away series against England and Australia, and whose schedule for the next four years is severely condensed.
After playing a two-match series against the West Indies at the end of February, the Proteas will not play another Test until India tours South Africa at the end of the year.
However, CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki stated that the recruitment of a specialist Test coach demonstrated the significance of Test cricket despite CSA’s decision to lower the number of fixtures to accommodate a new T20 league.
“We have not marginalized Test cricket,” Moseki stated.
We intend to invest to restore Test cricket to the expected level.
The director of cricket for the CSA, Enoch Nkwe, stated that one of Walter’s “massive goals” was to work towards the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will co-host.
However, his first priority will be to guarantee South Africa qualifies for this year’s World Cup and to “do our absolute best” in India.
Prior to becoming head coach of the Titans franchise, Walter served as the strength and conditioning coach for the South African team from 2009 to 2013.
Before relocating to New Zealand in 2016, where he coached Otago and most recently Central Districts, he led the team to three championships in three seasons.
Both coaches won’t begin their duties until February, which means Walter won’t take over until after South Africa’s three one-day internationals against England later this month.
The two coaches replace former Test wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who was contracted until the conclusion of this year’s World Cup but quit to join the Mumbai Indians side in the Indian Premier League.
Nkwe stated that he had begun a comprehensive “reset” of both red-ball and white-ball cricket, which might involve flexibility in contract negotiations with players departing the national system in an era of lucrative T20 leagues.
According to Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
The new #Proteas head coaches have been announced as Shukri Conrad (red-ball) and Rob Walter (white-ball).
We wish them well in their new positions. #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/E2PVE6ER4s
16.01.2023 — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA)
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