CLARITY and backing are the two words that come to mind to sum up best the two-year journey that South Africa has been on to win the country’s first world title at Lord’s on Saturday, where the Proteas beat Australia by five wickets to win the 2023-2025 World Test Championship.
At the centre of the historic achievement, Aiden Markram, after being dropped from the squad after a lean patch, said it best two years ago when coach Shukri Conrad recalled him to open the batting at the start of his coaching tenure.
In that first Test back in the side, Markram brought up his sixth Test century and spoke about the backing Conrad has given him, a feat that planted a seed that has now blossomed to the country’s first major ICC trophy.
“I think it’s great when a coach backs you like that. It gives you that extra bit of confidence, and you also want to do him justice for backing you like he does,” Markram said following that century at SuperSport Park two years ago.
“I think that’s one of the coach’s biggest strengths, he’s always clear in his messaging, and you’ll always know exactly where you stand. I’m grateful that he backs me and I was able to get another chance today.”
Two years later, Markram repaid the faith and backing shown to him once again by scoring a century at Lord’s, a match-winning 207-ball 136 runs, a knock that saw the 30-year-old smash 14 boundaries as he batted Australia to the ground.
Alongside Markram at Lord’s this week, there was Temba Bavuma with a gritty 134-ball 66, a knock that settled the nerves in the dressing room when Australia posted 282 runs for the Proteas to chase.
Again, Conrad’s clarity and backing were the two ingredients behind Bavuma’s success at Lord’s this week and in the two-year period, as he is yet to lose a Test as captain of the side.
Since being named captain, Bavuma has struck three centuries and has established himself as one of the top Test batters in the world.
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Most importantly, the 35-year-old has gone on to cement his place as one of the greatest Test captains in the game at the moment and in the history of South African cricket.
The two are not the only examples of the coach’s clarity in decision making and showing faith in his players, as the likes of David Bedingham, after years of being overlooked, got to finally don the baggy green under Conrad and eventually guide South Africa to their first major ICC trophy at Lord’s.
