'SA20 is lifeblood, without it we would not have Test cricket in country' - Conrad responds to Steve Waugh

South African Cricket has come under the scanner for several reasons unrelated to on-field action. After the end of the two-match Test series against India, which ended in a 1-1 draw, the home team’s batting coach, Shukri Conrad, had ample time to reply to all critics (outside of the country) for bashing Protean players for picking SA20 over playing Test cricket for the country.

Following the squad announcement for the away New Zealand Tests, where CSA named an uncapped player as the new captain alongside picking seven debutants in total (since all first-team players opted to feature in SA20), they received a lot of flak for ironically prioritising money over history, with former Aussie captain Steve Waugh slamming this call.

Replying to Waugh, who on his Instagram handle questioned if this step was the defining moment for already-dying Test cricket, Conrad said,

"I don't think Steve Waugh is going to really care what I say, but I love how everybody outside South Africa has become experts on South African cricket.

"Our hand has been forced. Everybody understands the SA20 has to happen. SA20 has to happen because it is the lifeblood of South African cricket. If it doesn't happen, we are not going to have Test cricket anyway. We've got to find a way to coexist with the league, we've got to co-exist with leagues around the world to ensure the sustainability of the game,” Conrad said.

Although he backed the top-tier players for choosing SA20 over the New Zealand Test series considering the financial stability, Conrad was equally critical of those preparing the international and franchise-based league schedules, saying both schedules shouldn’t have collided in the first place.

"Yes, there was a cock-up, or somebody got it wrong with the scheduling, and this is why we find ourselves here," he said. "It's unfortunate but we all saw the value of the league last year."

The CSA, however, has responded to this concern, saying they will ensure the SA20 is not colliding with South Africa’s international schedule despite the already-prepared FTP.

Still same South Africa side going to New Zealand

Commenting on the commitment the younger guns are willing to show on the New Zealand tour, Conrad said it’s the same South African team that is travelling, and they are not going there as underdogs.

"It's still South Africa that's going there. We don't sing a different national anthem. We don't wear a different blazer or anything like that. We are going to give it our best shot," he said.

"I hate the fact that South Africa goes as underdogs because I don't think we ever should be underdogs in anything that we do, but we do go as underdogs. Anything that we come back with, whether it is a draw or if we sneak a win, that's going to be massive for us,” Conrad added.