South Africa's Coach Reflects on Controversial Remarks After ODI Series Loss to India
Coach Shukri Conrad Addresses Controversy
In Visakhapatnam, following South Africa's defeat in the ODI series against India, head coach Shukri Conrad expressed his thoughts on the controversial use of the term "grovel" during the second Test in Guwahati. He clarified that it was never his intention to offend and acknowledged that he could have selected a more appropriate word.
Conrad had previously stated that the team aimed to make India "really grovel" and completely dominate the game, which they achieved by inflicting India's largest Test defeat by 408 runs. However, his comments sparked backlash among fans and cricket experts alike.
The term "grovel" was originally used by England's Tony Greig in 1976, during a series against the West Indies, and was criticized for its perceived racial undertones. Conrad's remarks drew criticism from notable figures in cricket, including Sunil Gavaskar and Dale Steyn, especially given the longstanding camaraderie between India and South Africa, highlighted by Indian IPL team owners' involvement in South Africa's domestic T20 league, SA20.
In a post-match press conference, Conrad stated, "Upon reflection, I never meant to cause any malice or lack humility. I could have chosen a better word, as it allowed for various interpretations. My intention was simply to make it challenging for India by keeping them on the field for an extended period. I must be cautious with my word choices, as context can be misconstrued."
"It’s unfortunate that this situation overshadowed what was a remarkable victory for our Test team. I believe the word itself is perfectly acceptable in English, but I left it open to misinterpretation. It detracted from the achievement, which is regrettable, as there was no malice intended," he added.
Conrad emphasized that humility is fundamental for all South African teams, stating, "It’s unfortunate that the focus shifted to the coach instead of the players, which should be the main narrative. I hope this matter can be resolved now."
In the match, India won the toss and opted to field first. South Africa's Ryan Rickelton was dismissed for a duck, but a solid partnership of 113 runs between Quinton de Kock (106 off 89 balls) and captain Temba Bavuma (48 off 67 balls) followed.
De Kock also shared a 54-run partnership with Matthew Breetzke (24 off 23 balls), but the Proteas faltered, losing five wickets for 199 runs, with Prasidh Krishna taking 4 wickets for 66 runs. Despite efforts from Dewald Brevis (29 off 29 balls) and Marco Jansen (17 off 15 balls), South Africa collapsed to 270 all out in 47.5 overs.
India successfully chased the target in 39.5 overs, with Rohit Sharma scoring 75 runs off 73 balls and forming a 155-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who achieved his first ODI century with an unbeaten 116 off 121 balls. Jaiswal also partnered with Virat Kohli, who scored 65 not out off 45 balls, concluding the series with a commanding victory.