Exclusive: Shukri Conrad Reveals the Blueprint that Turned the Tide for Proteas’ WTC Final Run

Proteas Test coach, Shukri Conrad, looks back to his two years in charge of the Test side and highlights what he thinks worked in his rebuilding of the team as they are set to play Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June. 

The Journey to the WTC Final

Conrad has had an impressive run since he took over a little over two years ago as he has gone on to be awarded the Wisden coach of the year earlier this year.

He took over a side that had bad series losses in England and Australia and was able to turn it around to a side that is now in the final of the World Test Championship final in London in June.

Speaking to SportsBoom in an exclusive interview, Conrad emphasised that the team needed to change direction and that started with a change in the captaincy role with Temba Bavuma appointed as Dean Elgar's successor.

"We needed to change direction, reset a little bit. Captaincy changed. I always had a clear understanding of how we want to do things and I always knew who the players were, I mean, bar some of the young guys, I'd worked with a majority of them, so I kind of knew what they were about," Conrad told SportsBoom.co.za.

"And I think that helped as a start. When a new coach comes in, it takes a while for the coach to get to know the players and for the players to get to know the coach. Thankfully, there was none of that because we knew each other, and everybody knew what I was about. I knew what they were about, their character, etc."

Turning Point for Test Success

Conrad told SportsBoom.co.za that he felt the team's 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh in Bangladesh was its turning point as they went on to win every Test match following that tour to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

South Africa had not won a series in the subcontinent in a decade, and Conrad's team, with very few star players, went to Dhaka and Chittagong and created history, becoming the first Proteas Test team to win a series in Asia in a decade.

"I think the turning point for me was Bangladesh, where we achieved something that a pro-team side hadn't achieved in 10 years. That gave us a lot of confidence, knowing that we had to come home and play four Test matches and that if we won three or four of them, we'd be in the final," said Conrad.

"The confidence grew amongst the group, particularly in the batting unit. I always felt like once you've got runs, you can play because we've always had a really good bowling unit. We've always had a really good bowling attack."

"Once the runs started coming from different players, there wasn't a reliance on one or two players to get us the big runs. I think the batting unit was settled. The guys knew their roles, they were comfortable in how they were going to do things."

The majority of the Test players who are not currently in the Indian Premier League are turning out for their domestic teams in the Cricket South Africa Four-Day competition.

Opening batter Tony de Zorzi and wicket-keeper batter Kyle Verreynne have scored centuries for their domestic teams since coming back, while David Bedingham has also regained form with a couple of half-centuries in his name.

Pleased with Domestic Cricket Progress

Conrad is pleased with how his Test players have performed in the Four-Day competition thus far and wants to see them continue setting a good example for the domestic players.

"It's great when your test players come back into domestic cricket and do as well as they do. Sometimes it's tough because there's a certain expectation that they're supposed to do well, but I always feel that when you come back you've got to show the domestic players why you play internationally."

"And then obviously drag them up with you through your performances, through your preparation, that way the whole ecosystem benefits. It's great to see in the last couple of matches that guys like Tony get a big hundred."

"I see Temba's due to play this four-day match. I think they know what's expected of them. They're international players, they're professional players. Like I say, when you go back to the domestic game, it's an opportunity for you to show why you play international cricket."

With the final of the Four-Day competition coming up this week between the Lions and Titans at the Wanderers Stadium, Conrad will be keeping an eye on the returns of his Test players as each game serves as their preparation for the World Test Championship final in London in June.