The head coach of South Africa, Shukri Conrad, has hinted that they would be looking for another opportunity to play a one-off Test match in England before the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 at Lord’s from June 11 where they will face Australia in the fixture.
South Africa won’t have any five-day encounter before the WTC final. They are, however, expected to face Zimbabwe away in a two-match red-ball series in the middle of the upcoming year, which could be pushed back or pulled up to manage their players, who won’t be playing anything since the end of the SA20 league.
The Temba Bavuma-led side started their campaign in the World Test Championship with a drawn series against India by a margin of 1-1, where they recorded the victory in the opening game at the SuperSport Park in Centurion before losing the second fixture at the Newlands in Cape Town.
South Africa plans to face Ireland or Afghanistan in preparation for the WTC final
Because of the craze and money making of their own T20 league at home, SA20, none of the first-team players were able to participate in the two-match Test series in New Zealand, which the third-string side went on to lose by a margin of 2-0. The Rainbow Nation, then, went on to beat West Indies by a 1-0 margin in the Caribbean before going on to win six straight games in Bangladesh and against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home.
South Africa is now at the top of the WTC 2023-25 points table with the help of eight victories, three defeats, and one draw at a percentage of 69.44. Their head coach expressed that they would be trying their best to arrange a Test before the final.
“We’re going to try and get a Test match, possibly in the UK, against Ireland or Afghanistan, whoever is free. And if unsuccessful, we’ll go out a couple of days, earlier, and make sure we camp there well, probably in Canterbury.” Conrad addressed at the end of the game to the host broadcaster.
There have been quite a few voices who claimed that South Africa got to the final on the back of beating pretty much nobody. The former spinner of Australia, Kerry O’Keeffe, called the run of the Rainbow Nation ‘like making the Wimbledon final without playing a seed on the way.’
The head coach took a dig at the side, claiming that they drew with India, who went on to get the better of the Aussies in Perth, while they cracked at Sri Lanka, who got the better of England and New Zealand in the cycle.
“One of the nobodies we (South Africa) beat won a Test match in Australia – West Indies beat Australia in a Test match. They are not nobody. New Zealand beat India: three-zip in India. New Zealand is not a nobody. Sri Lanka won Test matches [against England and New Zealand]. I don’t buy this thing about us beating nobody.” Shukri Conrad addressed in the post-match presser at the end of the first Test in Centurion.
“You tell any side to go and win six on the bounce in places you haven’t won in a decade and with a young side, with a decimated bowling attack and when you do that, you come back and tell me that we’ve (South Africa) beaten nobody.” The head coach shed light.
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The head coach has praised his captain, Temba Bavuma, who celebrated two centuries in the home summer and is yet to lose a red-ball fixture, till now.
“He’s played unbelievably well this summer, and full marks to him. I think any captain who wants to lead from the front, they want to lead through performance as well, and that’s what Temba’s done exceptionally well.” The head coach of South Africa highlighted.
“He’s not lost a game as captain of South Africa [winning eight out of nine Tests]. Leading from the front, turning out the performances he’s had, he’s probably in the form of his life.” Conrad concluded.