Conrad on SA's C-word tag: 'Unfair to burden this group with anything that's gone before'

When you're part of a team that has a history of falling at the final hurdle and the final hurdle is right in front of you - as was the case on the third evening of South Africa's Boxing Day Test against Pakistan - the last thing you want is to be reminded of all the times you've fallen. So what did South Africa's coach Shukri Conrad do?

He reminded them.

"I thought it was the opportune time to lay down that challenge. Maybe because we had another chance. If it didn't go our way, we had another chance in Cape Town," Conrad said at Lord's, two days before the World Test Championship [WTC] final. "It didn't go down kindly, but at some stage that conversation needs to be had. It's all about choosing when to have that."

And that is the way Conrad operates. He does not sugarcoat because, as he told ESPNcricinfo, "in our country, the minority are walking for pleasure but the majority are still walking to get to work," and there are far more real pressures than the result of a cricket match.

So with South Africa 19 for 3 during the Boxing Day Test, chasing 148, he asked them if they wanted to be remembered as chokers. By lunch on day four, they were 116 for 8, but an hour later, Marco Jansen laced Mohammad Abbas through point for the winning runs and answered Conrad. Emphatically.

Does winning under the kind of pressure South Africa faced at SuperSport Park mean they will no longer be referred to by their least-favourite c-word? Obviously not. Only winning an ICC trophy will do that, and probably not even this one. It may take winning an ODI World Cup. But they've started to address the decades-old elephant in the room in case it takes a peep at them again this week.

"We touched on it (the Boxing Day Test) briefly the other day," Conrad said. "What were the learnings from that? And what's the response we can expect, and we're looking for?"

Crucially, one of the learnings was that Jansen, who had the yips at the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, was among the pair that got them over the line against Pakistan and seems to have outgrown his nerves. At that World Cup, Jansen admitted to feeling extremely anxious before big games, to the point where his father had to provide him with soothing Bible verses. Now, he holds his own but Conrad was careful to remind those present that Jansen is only 25 years old, and may still get overawed.

"The sense of the occasion and the expectation weigh on them, but they'll get better the more they're exposed to that," Conrad said. "There's been a lot of growth. You look at the calmness he showed towards the end in that chase against Pakistan and I think that will stand him in really good stead."

At least, Jansen is one of the seven players who have played at Lord's and against Australia before. For the others, there is the additional challenge of being at a hallowed ground against a much-vaunted opposition for the first time, but they've spoken about that too.

"It's difficult not to get the place out of your system. Let's embrace it and whatever comes with it," Conrad said. "We can't wish it away. These were some of the conversations that we've had, taking it in and making sure you settle yourself down. There are going to be nerves and the excitement levels are starting to ramp up. It's a great occasion, and I'd rather be part of it than not."

Especially because, "you can only win it if you play in finals," Conrad said, refusing to dwell on the one South Africa lost at the T20 World Cup last year. "The more finals you play in, you obviously improve your chances of winning. It doesn't weigh heavy on us. It's unfair to burden this group with anything that's gone before. We know we want to and we need to win another ICC event, (after the 1998 Champions Trophy) but whatever tags come along, we don't wear that."

Instead, what South Africa have chosen to label themselves as is a team that pull together rather than relying on any standouts because they have so few. Over the cycle, they have nine different batters score hundreds and four different bowlers take five-fors and they've cast the selection net wide while Conrad's gambles have often paid off. Now, he has a final roll of the dice and two major selection decisions: who will bat No.3 and who will be his third seamer?

Wiaan Mulder seems set to take the No.3 spot, as he did in the warm-up game, but Conrad appears to still be debating who that seamer will be. "The new ball is critical. There's been a lot of talk about when the lacquer comes off the ball, and you obviously still need guys that are as effective with that ball when the lacquer comes off and it tends to swing a little bit more. That will be a consideration. The bounce here with the older ball can be a little bit inconsistent, can be a bit slower."

That implies Lungi Ngidi could get the nod over Dane Paterson or Corbin Bosch while South Africa are unlikely to dispense with a spinner, especially as dry conditions have dominated in the lead-up. "Obviously, this is not a venue where spin is a massive factor in terms of wickets taken but we know spinners can play a role here both as wicket-takers and doing an important holding role."

Keshav Maharaj is one of only three players - Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada - being the other two to have played more than 50 Tests and South Africa's inexperience is considered to be one of the things that make them the underdogs against an impressive Australian team.

"Inexperience of the batters is very apparent in terms of the number of Tests played, but I think there's a quiet confidence amongst the batting group," Conrad said. "They might not have the superstar names amongst them, but I think as a collective we're pretty confident."