Shukri Conrad targets clutch moments as Proteas build momentum for T20 World Cup

SOUTH Africa head into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a growing sense of belief, shaped by recent success across formats and a renewed sense of direction under coach Shukri Conrad.

IOL Sport’s Zaahier Adams reports that the Proteas arrive in India and Sri Lanka having reached a first-ever T20 World Cup final two years ago, while more recently ending a long wait for major silverware by winning the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s last year. Together, those milestones have shifted the narrative around a side that has often fallen short on the biggest stages.

Now tasked with leading the team across all formats, Conrad believes the challenge in T20 cricket will come down to execution under pressure.

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has called on his team “to make sure we win all the clutch moments” at the upcoming tournament.

Momentum across formats

Conrad’s credentials were cemented in the Test arena, where he took over a side that had struggled and guided it to the summit of world cricket. The 58-year-old was subsequently handed the reins in white-ball cricket, succeeding Rob Walter, who had overseen South Africa’s run to the final in Barbados.

The shift to T20s has not been seamless. Since Conrad’s appointment, the Proteas have won eight matches and lost 13 in the format. However, progress was evident in their most recent series against the West Indies, where two victories secured his first T20I series win.

“Yeah, really happy with the outcome. I thought we played some exceptional cricket in the first two T20s. Obviously, the last one didn't work out in terms of the result, but I think we got a lot out of it in terms of putting batters under pressure in a chase like that,” Conrad said.

“West Indies obviously executed really well, but really good exercise. Wonderful to have everybody together for the first time. You could sense it when the guys got together, it was like business as usual.”

Learning the World Cup grind

While the WTC triumph ended a 27-year wait for an ICC title, Conrad acknowledged that the demands of a T20 World Cup present a very different test.

“I'm like a kid in a candy shop now. This World Cup is my first one, yes. And the WTC, we know how well that ended,” he said. “But we start on a clean slate, you know. We need to play well.”

South Africa face a demanding group stage in Group D alongside Canada, New Zealand, Afghanistan and the UAE, with four matches standing between them and the Super Eights.

“There's a lot to a World Cup rather than a once-off Test match or a one-off Test match. Obviously tricky games. Every game is a must-win game, essentially,” Conrad said. “And every side can beat any side on its day. And it's a fickle format. But we need to make sure that we win all the clutch moments.

“We need to get out of the group stages and then start ramping it up as we go along. But, yeah, it's going to be a tough nut to crack. But we are up for it.”

The Proteas were due to play a warm-up match on Wednesday evening, with middle-order batter David Miller set to feature for the first time since being passed fit following an injury sustained late in the Betway SA20.