In the wake of South Africa’s breakthrough victory in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad says Test cricket remains the ultimate for players.
Conrad was speaking at the Proteas press conference on Wednesday in Johannesburg, to welcome the team back to South Africa.
South Africa clinched the WTC final at Lord’s on Saturday, beating Australia by five wickets at the home of cricket.
Skipper Temba Bavuma formed part of the match-winning partnership with Aiden Markram in the fourth innings, as the Proteas emerged emphatic winners.
Markram scored a sensational 136 and Bavuma made an invaluable 66 batting with an injured hamstring at the other end, as the pair shared a pivotal 147-run stand for the third wicket in pursuit of 282 for victory.
The Enduring Significance of Test Cricket According to Shukri Conrad
“I think the big thing and firstly what it shows is that you can only look at the guys in the front here, it remains the best format for them. It’s the format that they all hold the dearest,” said Conrad.
“The big spin-off for me is that you’ve got a strong Test team that plays regularly, that performs as well as we have, then the spin-offs are major for the other formats.”
It’s often said that Test cricket is dying, while the shorter formats, especially T20, provide the most interest and in income generation for the game. Conrad, though, insisted there is still an important role for Test cricket.
“We know T20 is the most popular, it brings in the money, but you’ll have good T20 teams on the back of good Test teams, because your best players remain your best players, whether they play T20 or Test cricket, that’s been proven.
“We’re very hopeful that going forward it remains the pinnacle of the sport. I think we’ve seen people fall in love with Test cricket again.
“I’ve never seen so many people watch Test cricket. I’ve never seen so many people in the airport before. That’s not on the back of a T20, that’s on the back of the Test team being as successful as we are.”
@Michael_Sherman
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