New Coaching Supremo

Shukri Conrad set for all formats - but he'll need selectors

The paperwork will take a while longer to finalise but, unless there is an unexpected snag in the negotiations, it is just a matter of time before Shukri Conrad is confirmed as South Africa’s white-ball coach to go along with his Test duties.

It is unlikely that recruitment policy and labour law will dictate that some form of advertising is required let alone a shortlist and interviews. Rob Walter’s role as white-ball coach will simply be discontinued and Conrad’s expanded.

Walter’s resignation may have caught many people by surprise – including his employers – but those closest to him knew it had been brewing for a while. He felt it had become untenable.

The travel between his young family in New Zealand and wherever South Africa were playing was always going to test all of their resilience but it was also the criticism he received for a poor record in bilateral series for which he was never able to select his strongest squad. Administrators also never let him forget that his squad for the T20 World Cup contained just one black African player – and that subsequent squads, especially for the home World Cup in 2027 - would be expected to look very different.

That Walter will be in demand back in New Zealand, where he is held in the highest esteem, is unquestioned. The contract of Black Caps national coach, Gary Stead, is up for renewal in June and splitting the roles between formats is likely following the appointment of different captains – Tom Latham in Tests and Mitchell Santner in the white ball formats.

Conrad, as we know, is not over-worked at the moment although his duties do include more than just the few Test matches which the Proteas play – SA ‘A’ matches are also his responsibility. Apart from the lack of time constraints, Conrad is also keen to do the job, he is already on the payroll and – he wouldn’t mind me saying this – he is cheap, purely financially. Finally, the Test team reaching the WTC final is bound to reflect on the coach.

There were other options but they would been have harder to negotiate and more expensive. Conrad’s lack of international playing experience obviously hasn’t counted against him with the Test team and he can always assuage any shortcomings and lack of recent contact with T20 cricket with the use of consultants. Jonty Rhodes and Ryan Cook are two of the best fielding coaches in the game, Lance Klusener is still one of the best T20 batting coaches and Eric Simons may well be the best bowling coach in the world. All are currently employed in the IPL.

Conrad didn’t play Test cricket, either, of course, but Ashwell Prince played it very well indeed and he’s been a crucial presence in the change room. Conrad has always been known for his strong opinions but they are no longer as intransigent as they used to be (although he will never sanction the use of a nightwatchman). These days he is more willing to listen to divergent opinions before deciding that he is right.

He is, primarily, a mood and atmosphere coach, and he’s very good at it creating a happy environment. Kagiso Rabada recently admitted that he’s having more fun playing Test cricket now than ever before, although that may be as much down to his vastly reduced overall workload.

When the Proteas required 32 runs at lunch to beat Pakistan in the first Test at Supersport Park last year and keep alive their dreams of reaching the final, Rabada and Marco Jansen had 40 very long minutes to sweat with the team’s fortunes in their hands. It was 116-8 having been 99-8. With so much at stake it would have been tempting and easy for Conrad to present the pair with a plan.

Instead, he smiled and said: “I’m not going to tell you how to bat, you decide. All I will say is ‘whatever you decide, however you want to go about it, commit fully to your plan. Don’t get caught between approaches.’” It was brilliant coaching. Conrad in his earlier days as a coach would have been more prescriptive. Age and experience have calmed him, made him sanguine even. So, Jansen blocked it, Rabada smashed it and South Africa won.

The major concern for South African cricket followers, perhaps even the players, is that there are no signs of changing the ‘coach as sole selector’ policy currently in place. One person having sole responsibility for selection in all three formats is far too much power. Two coaches provided some natural balance. It has nothing to do with Conrad personally, but the best thing he could possibly do when he takes over is to appoint two fellow selectors. Even if they are allies. He will need their perspective.