Shukri Conrad Takes Over South Africa’s White-Ball Coaching Duties

Shukri Conrad, the current Test coach for South Africa, has been appointed to additionally manage the nation’s white-ball cricket teams. This expanded role will continue until the ODI World Cup in 2027, hosted on home soil.

Conrad succeeds Rob Walter, who stepped down from his position in April, signifying the conclusion of South Africa’s strategy of dividing coaching responsibilities for the time being.

In a noteworthy adjustment, Conrad will collaborate with a selection convener, an as-yet-unfilled post. This represents a change from the previous framework, where the head coach oversaw all selection matters.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) opted not to seek external candidates for the white-ball coach role, instead integrating the position into Conrad’s existing duties.

However, applications were invited for the selection convener role, with the deadline on April 29. The announcement of the successful candidate is anticipated shortly.

“It is a real honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the national team across all formats,” Conrad stated in a CSA communication.

“Leading the Test side has been the highlight of my coaching career, and to now also oversee the white-ball teams is truly special. I’m really looking forward to what we can achieve.”

“South African cricket possesses incredible white-ball talent, from experienced senior players to aspiring young athletes looking to represent the Proteas. We have a solid base to build upon, and I am confident we can achieve great things.”

Conrad initially expressed interest in both the white- and red-ball coaching positions when CSA sought a replacement following Mark Boucher’s departure in 2022.

At the time, CSA chose to centralize selection responsibilities under the head coach. Conrad temporarily filled in for Walter at the start of his tenure in January 2023 when South Africa played a vital series against England to guarantee their place in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

South Africa secured a 2-1 series victory, with ODI captain Temba Bavuma, who had been struggling with form and was dropped from the T20 side, scoring a memorable century in the second match.

It was during this series that Conrad appointed Bavuma as Test captain. Bavuma currently leads both the Test and ODI teams, while Aiden Markram captains the T20I team.

Conrad’s first international coaching role comes after vast experience in South Africa’s domestic cricket scene. He has coached the Lions and Cobras franchises, earning four titles—three in white-ball formats.

Under his guidance, South Africa reached the final of this year’s World Test Championship, where they will compete against Australia. Conrad has also guided South Africa to seven successive Test wins, their second-longest streak after nine victories in 2002-03.

“Shukri’s performance with the red-ball team is self-evident. He has established a firm foundation and instilled a powerful identity within the Test environment. I’m eager to see him bring the same structure to the white-ball arena,” said Enoch Nkwe, CSA director of national teams and high-performance.

“Having been involved with the national setup for the past two years, he understands the demands of international cricket.

“He has also fostered strong relationships with the players, and we are sure he is the right person for the job. We trust he will help us maintain our current positive trajectory and remain competitive across all three formats,” he concluded.