South Africa were handed a proper beating in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final by New Zealand on Wendesday (Mar 4) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The loss means that the Proteas, only unbeaten side in the tournament before the semis, go home after just one loss while New Zealand move to the final on Sunday (Mar 8). The loss opened the 'choking' can of worms for South Africa but head coach Shukri Conrad thinks that wasn't the case. Chasing 170, New Zealand almost made a mockery of the target, reaching their in just 12.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. Finn Allen was the wrecker-in-chief, scoring unbeaten 100 off just balls.<h2>SA coach denies chocking claims after being trashed by NZ in T20 World Cup 2026 semi</h2>Known for not meancing the words, South Africa head coach Conrad gave his brutal assessment of the loss at the post-match press conference, and said: "I don't know if tonight was a choke. I thought it was a bloody walloping."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-2026-ind-vs-eng-top-5-match-ups-which-can-define-semi-final-winner-1772680291387">T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs ENG: Top 5 match-ups which can decide SF winner</a>He went on to explain his logic and said: "I think in order for you to choke, you must have had a sniff in the game. We didn't have a sniff. In South Africa, we say we got moered snotklap, also a South African word meaning a real hiding."<h2>How SA's campaign was derailed?</h2>On their biggest night in the white-ball format since losing to India in 2024 T20 World Cup final, South Africa buckled under pressure, losing half their side in 10.2 overs for just 77 on board after being asked to bat first. Marco Jansen (55 off 30 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (29 off 24 balls) added 73 runs in about next eight overs to take the score to 150. Some more meaty blows by Jansen took the final score to 169/8 in 20 overs - still about 40 runs short on a pitch which got better in the second half.When New Zealand came to bat, they played like nothing to lose while they had a place in the final on the line. Kiwi openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert added 84 runs in the powerplay itself, taking the match all but away from the Proteas. By the time Seifert departed for a nice-looking 33-ball 58, NZ needed only 53 runs in almost 11 overs - and they took just 3.4 overs to score them.

On their biggest night in the white-ball format since losing to India in 2024 T20 World Cup final, South Africa buckled under pressure and lost the semi-final vs NZ by nine wickets, reviving the chokers tag once again.

South Africa were handed a proper beating in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final by New Zealand on Wendesday (Mar 4) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The loss means that the Proteas, only unbeaten side in the tournament before the semis, go home after just one loss while New Zealand move to the final on Sunday (Mar 8). The loss opened the 'choking' can of worms for South Africa but head coach Shukri Conrad thinks that wasn't the case. Chasing 170, New Zealand almost made a mockery of the target, reaching their in just 12.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. Finn Allen was the wrecker-in-chief, scoring unbeaten 100 off just balls. SA coach denies chocking claims after being trashed by NZ in T20 World Cup 2026 semi Known for not meancing the words, South Africa head coach Conrad gave his brutal assessment of the loss at the post-match press conference, and said: "I don't know if tonight was a choke. I thought it was a bloody walloping." Also Read - T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs ENG: Top 5 match-ups which can decide SF winner He went on to explain his logic and said: "I think in order for you to choke, you must have had a sniff in the game. We didn't have a sniff. In South Africa, we say we got moered snotklap, also a South African word meaning a real hiding." How SA's campaign was derailed? On their biggest night in the white-ball format since losing to India in 2024 T20 World Cup final, South Africa buckled under pressure, losing half their side in 10.2 overs for just 77 on board after being asked to bat first. Marco Jansen (55 off 30 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (29 off 24 balls) added 73 runs in about next eight overs to take the score to 150. Some more meaty blows by Jansen took the final score to 169/8 in 20 overs - still about 40 runs short on a pitch which got better in the second half. When New Zealand came to bat, they played like nothing to lose while they had a place in the final on the line. Kiwi openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert added 84 runs in the powerplay itself, taking the match all but away from the Proteas. By the time Seifert departed for a nice-looking 33-ball 58, NZ needed only 53 runs in almost 11 overs - and they took just 3.4 overs to score them.

On their biggest night in the white-ball format since losing to India in 2024 T20 World Cup final, South Africa buckled under pressure and lost the semi-final vs NZ by nine wickets, reviving the chokers tag once again.

T20 World Cup 2026 | 'Wasn't a choke': SA coach Conrad shares assessment on numbing loss vs New Zealand

South African Test captain Temba Bavuma has broken his silence on the unsavoury incident involving a ‘dwarf’ remark made by ace Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah during the concluded Test series in November. Midway through a review discussion for an LBW call on Bavuma during the first Test in Kolkata, Bumrah and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant referred to him as a dwarf, with the stump mic picking it up, and the matter getting escalated on social media. However, even before the two Indians involved were made aware of the damage done by that remark, both approached Bavuma and apologised to him after the day’s play.&nbsp;Bavuma said that although he didn’t hear what Bumrah and Pant discussed during the review discussion in the middle, he understood that something was being murmured in their native language, which he didn’t understand but had to check up with the media manager afterwards. The right-handed batter admitted letting the matter go and having no ifs about it.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vijay-hazare-trophy-virat-kohli-goes-past-sachin-tendulkar-rohit-sharma-equals-david-warner-tally-in-record-outing-1766578318803">Vijay Hazare Trophy: Kohli goes past Sachin, Rohit equals Warner’s tally in record outing</a> &nbsp;“I know from my side, there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised. When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about; I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it. What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no grudges per se,” Bavuma wrote in a column for ‘ESPNcricinfo’.<h3>Bavuma on Conrad’s remarks</h3>The series, won by South Africa, was also marred by off-field remarks, including one made by South Africa coach Shukri Conrad, during a presser in the second Test in Guwahati. Conrad used the word ‘grovel’, leading to comparisons with Tony Grieg’s infamous comments with racist connotations during the series against the West Indies. Conard, however, apologised for his remarks later, admitting he could have used another word for that, something Bavuma also echoed. &nbsp;“Shukri also took some heat for his 'grovel' remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made. I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all. The first time I heard about it, it had that unsavoury taste to it, but I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was and what it meant to certain individuals within the group. Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed. In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word, and I agree with him,” he said.

Bavuma-led South Africa clean-swept India on their home turf during the concluded two-match Test series in November. 

South African Test captain Temba Bavuma has broken his silence on the unsavoury incident involving a ‘dwarf’ remark made by ace Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah during the concluded Test series in November. Midway through a review discussion for an LBW call on Bavuma during the first Test in Kolkata, Bumrah and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant referred to him as a dwarf, with the stump mic picking it up, and the matter getting escalated on social media. However, even before the two Indians involved were made aware of the damage done by that remark, both approached Bavuma and apologised to him after the day’s play. Bavuma said that although he didn’t hear what Bumrah and Pant discussed during the review discussion in the middle, he understood that something was being murmured in their native language, which he didn’t understand but had to check up with the media manager afterwards. The right-handed batter admitted letting the matter go and having no ifs about it. Also read | Vijay Hazare Trophy: Kohli goes past Sachin, Rohit equals Warner’s tally in record outing “I know from my side, there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised. When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about; I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it. What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no grudges per se,” Bavuma wrote in a column for ‘ESPNcricinfo’. Bavuma on Conrad’s remarks The series, won by South Africa, was also marred by off-field remarks, including one made by South Africa coach Shukri Conrad, during a presser in the second Test in Guwahati. Conrad used the word ‘grovel’, leading to comparisons with Tony Grieg’s infamous comments with racist connotations during the series against the West Indies. Conard, however, apologised for his remarks later, admitting he could have used another word for that, something Bavuma also echoed. “Shukri also took some heat for his 'grovel' remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made. I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all. The first time I heard about it, it had that unsavoury taste to it, but I think it just reminded me how tough and competitive the Test series was and what it meant to certain individuals within the group. Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed. In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word, and I agree with him,” he said.

Bavuma-led South Africa clean-swept India on their home turf during the concluded two-match Test series in November.&nbsp;

SA Test captain Bavuma breaks silence on ‘dwarf’ remark, reveals two senior Indian players apologised

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was full of praise for the Indian team after they pocketed the T20I series 3-1 with a 30-run win in Ahmedabad on Friday (Dec 19). Playing at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, India won after the heroics of Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma; however, Conrad was in awe of Hardik Pandya, who played a match-winning knock. According to the Proteas coach, Hardik was the difference-maker for the hosts and will be a key weapon for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.<h2>Conrad in awe of Hardik</h2>“If I were brutally honest, in taking nothing away from Bumrah, I think Hardik’s been the difference between the two teams. I think his knock tonight was the difference between us winning and losing. I think he played a knock in the first one as well, where he just walked in, and we had him in a little bit of trouble,” Conrad said after the match.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-steve-smith-to-joe-root-5-active-batters-with-most-runs-in-ashes-ben-stokes-jonny-bairstow-usman-khawaja-1762275784636">From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes</a>&nbsp;Pandya led India's batting assault with his 16-ball 50 to set up a 30-run win over South Africa and clinch the series 3-1 in the fifth T20 on Friday. A punishing 105-run fourth partnership between Pandya, who hammered 63 off 25 balls, and Tilak Varma (73) swept India to 231-5 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-leonard-hutton-to-don-bradman-5-batters-with-highest-individual-score-in-ashes-bob-simpson-bob-cowper-ashes-2025-26-1762276944046">From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes</a>&nbsp;In reply, South Africa started strongly thanks to a 35-ball 65 by Quinton de Kock, who played his 100th T20 for the national team, but the opener's departure triggered a collapse, and the Proteas ended on 201-8.&nbsp;The win sealed India's eighth consecutive T20 series triumph, a streak that began in December 2023. South Africa began the tour with a stunning 2-0 triumph in the Test series, but the white-ball contests proved disappointing as they also lost the one-day series 2-1.

Playing at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, India won after the heroics of Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma; however, Shukri Conrad was in awe of Hardik Pandya, who played a match-winning knock.

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was full of praise for the Indian team after they pocketed the T20I series 3-1 with a 30-run win in Ahmedabad on Friday (Dec 19). Playing at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, India won after the heroics of Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma; however, Conrad was in awe of Hardik Pandya, who played a match-winning knock. According to the Proteas coach, Hardik was the difference-maker for the hosts and will be a key weapon for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Conrad in awe of Hardik “If I were brutally honest, in taking nothing away from Bumrah, I think Hardik’s been the difference between the two teams. I think his knock tonight was the difference between us winning and losing. I think he played a knock in the first one as well, where he just walked in, and we had him in a little bit of trouble,” Conrad said after the match. ALSO READ | From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes Pandya led India's batting assault with his 16-ball 50 to set up a 30-run win over South Africa and clinch the series 3-1 in the fifth T20 on Friday. A punishing 105-run fourth partnership between Pandya, who hammered 63 off 25 balls, and Tilak Varma (73) swept India to 231-5 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. ALSO READ | From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes In reply, South Africa started strongly thanks to a 35-ball 65 by Quinton de Kock, who played his 100th T20 for the national team, but the opener's departure triggered a collapse, and the Proteas ended on 201-8. The win sealed India's eighth consecutive T20 series triumph, a streak that began in December 2023. South Africa began the tour with a stunning 2-0 triumph in the Test series, but the white-ball contests proved disappointing as they also lost the one-day series 2-1.

Playing at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, India won after the heroics of Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma; however, Shukri Conrad was in awe of Hardik Pandya, who played a match-winning knock.

IND vs SA: Not Bumrah, but THIS man was the difference, says Proteas coach Shukri Conrad in Ahmedabad

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad’s use of the word “grovel” to describe his team’s strategy against India has triggered controversy. Former Indian stars Anil Kumble and Cheteshwar Pujara expressed shock, citing the term's historical sensitivity and calling for humility. While Conrad aimed to push India to the limit, critics argue the choice of words overshadows sportsmanship, fueling debate across the cricketing world.

'Didn't Expect This From South Africa': Conrad's 'Grovel' Remark Sparks Outrage

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed Shukri Conrad as the new head coach of the South African men&rsquo;s cricket team in all formats. The announcement was made by the official X handle of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=cricket+south+africa" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">CSA</a> on Friday (9 May).
Conrad, who was already in charge of the Test team, will now also lead the ODI and T20I sides. He has replaced Rob Walter, who stepped down at the end of April 2025.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-magqdloq-1k5x1mxa-aufjvz64">
Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Shukri Conrad as the Proteas Men&rsquo;s all-format head coach. Conrad, who has led the Test side since January 2023, will now take charge of the white-ball formats starting with the T20 International tri-series&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/zXNoutPnKE">pic.twitter.com/zXNoutPnKE</a>
&mdash; Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProteasMenCSA/status/1920772051620483181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-applaud-indian-armed-forces-amid-border-tensions-with-pakistan-operation-sindoor-pahalgam-attack-indo-pak-war-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-9051006" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma applaud Indian Armed Forces amid border tensions with Pakistan</a>
Conrad has done phenomenally well with the Test side. Under his leadership, South Africa made it to the final of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=world+test+championship" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">World Test Championship (WTC)</a> for the 2023-25 cycle. Now, CSA has trusted him with the full-time role across all formats until the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
"I'm truly honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the national team across all three formats," Conrad said in a CSA statement.
"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," the newly appointed Head coach added.
<h2>Up for the challenge!</h2>
The new all-format coach also spoke about the tight schedule for the Proteas.
&ldquo;We have a busy time coming up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s the WTC final next month, the T20 World Cup in 2026, and then the 50-over World Cup in 2027. Planning will be key so we can manage the players and field strong teams in every format.&rdquo;
Next month, South Africa will play Australia in the WTC final at Lord&rsquo;s Stadium in London. The team, led by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=temba+bavuma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Temba Bavuma</a>, topped the WTC points table with eight wins from 12 matches and a points percentage of 69.44%. South Africa has a chance to create history and end their 27-year-long ICC trophy drought. They had last won the 1998 Champions Trophy.
With Conrad&rsquo;s appointment, South Africa hopes to build a strong team across formats and bring home the ICC Test mace next month

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed Shukri Conrad as the new head coach of the South African men’s cricket team in all formats. The announcement was made by the official X handle of CSA on Friday (9 May). Sports

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed Shukri Conrad as the new head coach of the South African men’s cricket team in all formats. The announcement was made by the official X handle of CSA on Friday (9 May). Conrad, who was already in charge of the Test team, will now also lead the ODI and T20I sides. He has replaced Rob Walter, who stepped down at the end of April 2025. Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Shukri Conrad as the Proteas Men’s all-format head coach. Conrad, who has led the Test side since January 2023, will now take charge of the white-ball formats starting with the T20 International tri-series… pic.twitter.com/zXNoutPnKE — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) May 9, 2025 Also Read | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma applaud Indian Armed Forces amid border tensions with Pakistan Conrad has done phenomenally well with the Test side. Under his leadership, South Africa made it to the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) for the 2023-25 cycle. Now, CSA has trusted him with the full-time role across all formats until the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. "I'm truly honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the national team across all three formats," Conrad said in a CSA statement. "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," the newly appointed Head coach added. Up for the challenge! The new all-format coach also spoke about the tight schedule for the Proteas. “We have a busy time coming up,” he said. “There’s the WTC final next month, the T20 World Cup in 2026, and then the 50-over World Cup in 2027. Planning will be key so we can manage the players and field strong teams in every format.” Next month, South Africa will play Australia in the WTC final at Lord’s Stadium in London. The team, led by Temba Bavuma, topped the WTC points table with eight wins from 12 matches and a points percentage of 69.44%. South Africa has a chance to create history and end their 27-year-long ICC trophy drought. They had last won the 1998 Champions Trophy. With Conrad’s appointment, South Africa hopes to build a strong team across formats and bring home the ICC Test mace next month

Cricket South Africa appoint new white-ball head coach ahead of packed calendar

Former South Africa skipper Dean Elgar has blamed head coach Shukri Conrad for his career being cut short. Elgar, who played 86 Tests for the Proteas, retired after the two-Test series against India in January earlier this year. Elgar currently plays for the English county team Essex.

"Shukri Conrad is the reason why my Test career was cut short," said Elgar in an interview to newspaper Rapport.

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"It felt as though they did not recognise all my hard work over the previous year-and-a-half, that they didn’t realise how much we had improved as a team," he added on being replaced as the Test skipper with Temba Bavuma.

Elgar also said that the environment wasn't conducive and hence his form took a dive as well. Elgar captained South Africa in 18 Tests and scored 849 runs at an average of 26 against his all time average of 38.

"I became a part-time cricketer and full-time politician, something that I never want to go through again. I am a sportsman, not a politician or a cricket administrator, but I was thrown into a cauldron in which I had to be all three. If I had known that before, I would never have accepted the captaincy."

"I tried to make the best of a bad job, to control the things I could control. But my own form took a dive," he said.

He also noted that there was no acknowledgement for his efforts as skipper despite his team "from being sixth or seventh in the world we became a team with the potential to play in the World Test championship final".&nbsp;

Elgar ended his career with 5,347 runs in whites to go with 14 hundreds and 23 fifties. He, however, could not manage to score even a single double hundred in his career with 199 being his best score in an innings.

Former South Africa skipper Dean Elgar has blamed head coach Shukri Conrad for his career being cut short. Elgar, who played 86 Tests for the Proteas, retired after the two-Test series against India in January earlier this year.

Former South Africa skipper Dean Elgar has blamed head coach Shukri Conrad for his career being cut short. Elgar, who played 86 Tests for the Proteas, retired after the two-Test series against India in January earlier this year. Elgar currently plays for the English county team Essex. "Shukri Conrad is the reason why my Test career was cut short," said Elgar in an interview to newspaper Rapport. Also Read: IPL 2024: VIDEO | MS Dhoni bowled for duck by Harshal Patel in CSK vs PBKS "It felt as though they did not recognise all my hard work over the previous year-and-a-half, that they didn’t realise how much we had improved as a team," he added on being replaced as the Test skipper with Temba Bavuma. Elgar also said that the environment wasn't conducive and hence his form took a dive as well. Elgar captained South Africa in 18 Tests and scored 849 runs at an average of 26 against his all time average of 38. "I became a part-time cricketer and full-time politician, something that I never want to go through again. I am a sportsman, not a politician or a cricket administrator, but I was thrown into a cauldron in which I had to be all three. If I had known that before, I would never have accepted the captaincy." "I tried to make the best of a bad job, to control the things I could control. But my own form took a dive," he said. He also noted that there was no acknowledgement for his efforts as skipper despite his team "from being sixth or seventh in the world we became a team with the potential to play in the World Test championship final". Elgar ended his career with 5,347 runs in whites to go with 14 hundreds and 23 fifties. He, however, could not manage to score even a single double hundred in his career with 199 being his best score in an innings.

Ex-SA skipper Dean Elgar blames head coach for 'Test career being cut short' | Here's Why

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.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sa-v-ind-two-test-series-is-waste-of-time-angry-ravi-shastri-bashes-scheduling-676746">SA v IND: 'Two-Test series is waste of time' - Angry Ravi Shastri bashes scheduling</a>

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.

<h2>Still same South Africa side going to New Zealand</h2>

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.

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.

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. ALSO READ: SA v IND: 'Two-Test series is waste of time' - Angry Ravi Shastri bashes scheduling 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.

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

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