South Africa Appoints New White-Ball Head Coach for the Men’s Side

Cricket South Africa, on Friday, announced that Shukri Conrad will now be the head coach of the Proteas men’s side across all formats. Conrad has been the head coach of the Test side since January 2023 and is now appointed as the coach for the limited-overs formats as well.

Conrad will replace the former Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter. Walter resigned from the role of white-ball head coach last month, and CSA has been looking for a suitable replacement since.

Conrad was full of pride and excitement after landing the new, expanded role. Expressing his gratitude, Conrad said,

“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.”

“South African cricket has incredible white-ball talent, from the calibre of our senior players to the emerging group of juniors eager to make their mark. There’s a strong foundation to build on, and I believe we have what it takes to achieve something special.”

Conrad has been doing a superb job with the Test side, taking them to their first-ever World Test Championship Final against Australia, which will begin on June 11 at Lord's. After the final, the Proteas will play a T20I tri-series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in July, which will be Conrad’s first assignment in the new role.

The new appointment will run through to the 2027 ODI World Cup. The mega event will be hosted by South Africa, and the home team will be looking to get their hands on their first major trophy at home.

Enoch Nkwe, CSA Director of National Teams and High Performance, was full of praise for Conrad and acknowledged the impact he has had on the team since taking the reins of the Test side.

“Shukri’s track record with the red-ball team speaks for itself. He has laid a solid foundation and instilled a strong identity within the Test environment. I’m excited to see him bring that same level of clarity, structure, and purpose to the white-ball formats,” said Nkwe.

“Having worked within the national setup for the past two years, he understands the demands of international cricket and has fostered valuable relationships with the players. We have every confidence he is the right person to guide the team forward and maintain our upward trajectory.”