Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed the appointment of Shukri Conrad as the head coach of South Africa's men's teams across formats on Friday, May 9. Conrad was already the Test team's coach, under whose tutelage qualified for the final of the 2023-25 cycle of the World Test Championship.
Conrad replaces Rob Walter, with the latter's resignation becoming effective at the end of previous month. Conrad, a former domestic player of the Proteas is understood to be in charge until the 2027 World Cup which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Conrad shared his sentiments on his appointment as the all-format coach and expressed excitement with regard to working with the group of emerging talents and seasoned professionals.
"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," Conrad was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
He also acknowledged the packed cricketing schedule in terms of crucial global tournaments coming his side's way.
"We have a busy schedule ahead, starting with the WTC final next month, the T20 World Cup next year and our very own 50-over World Cup to follow the year after. During this period, planning will be key for us as we look to manage our player base to ensure that the strongest teams can be fielded in every format," added Conrad.
South Africa have a chance to script history next month, with the Temba Bavuma-led side taking on Australia in the final of the 2023-25 WTC at Lord's. The Proteas ended up topping the points table with eight wins in 12 games and a points percentage of 69.44%.