NEWS
Follow UsSouth Africa’s red-ball coach Shukri Conrad has admitted that the entire group is ‘thrilled’ by the prospect of the team having a realistic chance of reaching the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), something the Proteas failed to do in each of the first two cycles.
With a points percentage (PCT) of 38.89%, the Proteas are currently fifth on the table. But each of South Africa’s six remaining games in the cycle are winnable — two vs Bangladesh (A), two vs Pakistan (H) and two vs Sri Lanka (H) — and making it six in six would put South Africa right in the mix for a place in the finale at Lord’s next year.
Going unbeaten will be easier said than done, but Conrad believes there is no harm in eyeing the jackpot.
"We've got a big couple of months ahead of us to grow as a Test team. At the end of that, if we do very well and we win enough games, we can end up in the World Test Championship final," Conrad said after the 1-0 series win over West Indies, reported ESPNcricinfo.
"We know that if we win every Test match that there is that possibility (of getting to the final). And we're really thrilled that there might be something for us at the end of this.”
That South Africa registered a series win over the Windies was largely down to the brilliance of Keshav Maharaj with the ball. Maharaj, who bagged the Player of the Series award for taking 13 wickets at an average of 16.07, bowled a record-breaking marathon spell in the first Test and then followed it up in the second with five more wickets. The fifth and final wicket he picked in the second Test made Maharaj the most successful spinner in South Africa’s Test history.
Conrad was unsurprisingly full of praise for the left-arm spinner.
"Kesh is an absolute workhorse, an absolute professional, and he just keeps going, And I'm thrilled that he nailed that record. It's richly deserved," Conrad said.
"He's great in the change room. He's a great sounding board for players and coaches, a really good team guy and someone that you can easily dub Mr. Reliable. When you're transitioning, you need someone like that in your team."
Another player who had a fantastic series was all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, who averaged 37.50 in the series with the bat and took six wickets at an average of 18.33. It was his four-wicket haul in the first innings of the second Test that set up victory for the Proteas in Guyana.
The South Africa red-ball coach said that he was not surprised one bit to see Mulder step up in the absence of the rested Marco Jansen.
"Wiaan has obviously been in and around the Test side without getting a regular spot, and his performances sometimes haven't warranted him getting a really good run. But at some stage, you give someone a run and you back them and you see where you come out," Conrad said.
"We always knew that Wiaan's got the ability, and it's great to see that he's added a few yards [of pace] with the ball. He'd also be the first one to tell you that he's slightly disappointed that he didn't go on and convert the start he got in the second innings and make that a big one but that's part of the process."
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