In a notable shift in coaching structure, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has officially named Shukri Conrad as the new head coach of the national white-ball teams. Already serving as the Test coach, Conrad’s role has now been expanded to include leadership of the ODI and T20I sides, with the tenure set to run through to the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which South Africa will host.
Rob Walter’s exit ends dual-coach model
This development follows the resignation of Rob Walter in April, who had been overseeing the limited-overs teams since early 2023. Walter’s departure has brought an end—at least for now—to CSA’s split-coach experiment, unifying the national team’s vision under one head.
Unlike previous appointments, CSA did not open the head coach role to public applicants or conduct formal interviews, citing the logic of continuity and the benefit of having a single leadership voice across formats. However, the administration has initiated a search for a new selection convener to work alongside Conrad. The application window for the selector role closed on April 29, and an official announcement is expected in the coming days.
This marks a departure from the current framework where the head coach had complete control over team selection, signaling a more collaborative approach moving forward.
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Big vision for South African cricket
Conrad views his expanded role as a profound privilege and a unique opportunity to shape the future of South African cricket. He described coaching the Test side as the highlight of his career so far and expressed immense pride in now leading the white-ball teams as well. Conrad emphasized his excitement about the road ahead, praising the wealth of talent within the national setup—from seasoned campaigners to emerging young players. He believes this strong foundation provides the perfect platform to build a competitive and united team capable of achieving remarkable success across formats.
“I’m truly honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the national team across all three formats. Coaching the Test side has been the greatest privilege of my cricket journey, and to now oversee the white-ball teams as well is something unbelievably special. I’m genuinely excited about the prospects that lie ahead. South African cricket has incredible white-ball talent, from the calibre of our senior players to the emerging group of juniors aspiring to represent the Proteas. There’s a strong foundation to build on, and I believe we have what it takes to achieve something special,” said Conrad as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
