Shukri Conrad to take over as South Africa's white-ball coach

Shukri Conrad, South Africa's Test coach, will take over charge of the white-ball sides in an expansion of his current role that will run until the home ODI World Cup in 2027. Conrad succeeds Rob Walter, who resigned in April, and ends South Africa's dalliance with a split coaching role for now.

In a significant change, Conrad will work with a selection convener, who has yet to be named. This marks a departure from the current set-up, in which the head coach was in charge of all selection.

The decision to do away with a separate white-ball coach and add to Conrad's already existing role meant that Cricket South Africa did not need to advertise the position or conduct interviews. The organisation did, however, put out a call for a selection convener. Applications closed on April 29 and the position will be announced shortly.

"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."

Conrad had initially applied for both the white- and red-ball positions, when CSA sought a replacement after Mark Boucher left the post in 2022. At that point, CSA also decided to do away with a selection panel and leave the responsibility with the head coaches. He filled in for Walter at the start of his tenure, in January 2023, when South Africa played a must-win series against England in order to secure qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup. They won the series 2-1 and ODI captain Temba Bavuma, who had struggled for form and been dropped from the T20 sides, scored a stirring century in the second match.

It was also during that series that Conrad decided to appoint Bavuma as his Test captain. Bavuma is currently in charge of both the Tests and ODI sides, while Aiden Markram leads the T20I side.

While the South Africa job is Conrad's first as an international coach, he has significant experience in the country's domestic game. He coached both the Lions and Cobras' franchises (under South Africa's previous domestic structure) and won four titles with the two teams, three in white-ball formats. He has also masterminded South Africa's run to this year's WTC final, where they will play Australia. Under Conrad, South Africa have won their last seven Tests - their second-longest winning streak after nine victories in 2002-03.

"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 the profile and structure to the white-ball space," Enoch Nkwe, CSA director of national teams and high-performance. "Having been part of the national setup over the past two years, he understands the demands of international cricket.

"He has also established sound relationships with the players and we have no doubt that he is the best person for the job. We are confident he will help us maintain our current upward trajectory and remain competitive across all three formats."