There was a clamour for Shukri Conrad to take over white-ball coaching duties for the Proteas after steering South Africa to the final of the World Test Championship. Cricket South Africa duly obliged, appointing Conrad as the all-format head coach in May 2025.
A month later, he delivered South Africa’s first ICC trophy in 27 years as the Proteas famously beat Australia at Lord’s. At 58, Conrad is now targeting a famous double by guiding South Africa towards the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Why the market now treats South Africa differently
If you bet on cricket, you will know that 9/2 is not a token price. South Africa sit prominently in the outright market for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The latest cricket tips place only hosts India ahead of Conrad’s side. That is a notable repositioning for a team that, for much of the past decade, carried the weight of history into knockout matches.
This is no longer a South African unit that looks tense when the margins narrow. The question is how Conrad has succeeded where several highly regarded predecessors fell short.
Clarity over chaos: the Conrad method
Conrad’s edge is not that he has reinvented South African cricket. It is that he has stripped it back to clarity, honesty, and selection that makes sense to the players living inside it. Conrad has said his philosophy “doesn’t change”, even as he gets “smarter” about conditions and the demands of international cricket. The emphasis is on consistency rather than reinvention since his appointment.
A huge congratulations to 🇿🇦 Proteas Men's Head Coach Shukri Conrad, who has been named Wisden Cricket Coach of the Year 🥳💪🏏.
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 31, 2025
Conrad's impressive record of 7 wins in 11 matches and qualification for the World Test Championship Final substantiates this remarkable achievement… pic.twitter.com/DYdaDJ8xBr
The numbers reinforce that steadiness. As of February 2026, South Africa have won 10 of their 14 Tests under Conrad, losing three and drawing one. That return places him among the most effective starts by any Proteas coach in the modern era.
Within that run came a seven-match winning streak, one of the longest in South Africa’s Test history. Even more telling was a breakthrough tour of India, where South Africa secured their first Test victory there in 15 years and went on to claim the series for the first time since 2000. Few assignments in world cricket carry greater weight.
Those results have propelled South Africa into the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle as defending champions, restoring authority in a format where they had previously drifted.
What stands out over the past two years, however, is not just silverware but the spread of contribution. Eight different players have scored centuries during this period, five have claimed five-wicket hauls, and five have earned man-of-the-match awards across major victories. That distribution suggests a side built on role clarity rather than dependence on one or two individuals.
Conrad’s man-management is equally specific. He has described his approach as honest and demanding, tailored to individual personalities rather than delivered through slogans. The aim is to enable players to be themselves within defined responsibilities. At the international level, that clarity removes doubt. Players understand where they stand and what is required.
Why this feels sustainable, not accidental
Put together, the pattern is coherent. The environment is firm, the messaging consistent, and selection decisions defensible. Responsibility is shared rather than feared.
That is why South Africa now look composed in tight sessions away from home and composed again when major finals arrive. Conrad has not relied on novelty or grand declarations. He has relied on stability, clear roles, and trust.
For a side once burdened by expectation, that steadiness may be the most valuable change of all.
